I can not be caged : Through the portal part 4
by SpikeyGirl
Summary: Max is back, Itachi's love life is getting very complicated unlike Sasuke's, lucky him. Circumstances change, situations come up and life it turned upside down again for everyone. But this is going to get dangerous, very much so. Survival is not guaranteed. Xover new/revisited
1. Alcohol is too breakfast

Ah, a first chapter of a new part. I suppose you can blame my sister for this being posted now. She kept moaning at me about it.

--

Laura came home from work, she was exhausted from a serial killer that even the ANBU had had trouble with. She'd finally solved it and was looking forward to a break.

She unlocked the door to the house and threw her bag at the sofa.

"Umph."

Laura frowned the sofa wasn't supposed to make noises, maybe someone was sleeping over it might but Sasuke would use her room and Naruto had his own, no one else really slept over. She got into the living room and saw a familiar head of silver hair.

"Max!" She was rewarded with a cushion in her face from a tired Naruto who Laura had woken up with the yell. He then noticed Max's sleeping form on the sofa.

"She's back, she actually came back! We need to tell people. Do you think Tsunade knows?" Naruto said almost in on breath.

"Do you think Itachi knows?" Laura added looking grave. Naruto's eyes widened and he nodded as well. A third person joined them, barley visible in the darkness.

"So this is why you decided to wake up the world," Sasuke mused also looking at Max. Naruto looked between Laura and Sasuke, and the room Sasuke had just emerged from in his boxers.

"Do I want to know what you were doing in Laura's room?" Both mentioned had the decency to blush under the confused gaze of Naruto. When Sasuke had returned he had realised just what happened when he did nothing, he had visited Laura at work with her favourite take out and had been waiting for her to get back.

"Jeez you guys, I try to sleep on the couch so I don't wake you lot only to get woken instead," Max grumbled.

"You're awake!"

"If you lot understood the concept of quiet I still would be," she said sitting up rubbing her eyes, she hadn't gotten enough asleep to be back on her usual sleep pattern. Atlantis had a different day system, the days being longer by three hours. There was no way she'd get anymore sleep though, not now that they knew she was back.

"Have you reported to Tsunade yet?"

"No, I thought I could get some sleep first" Max said in a sarcastic voice, it was ruined by the fact she ended it with a yawn.

"I get the picture, you're cranky because we woke you, you should probably report in soon, you've missed quite a bit so need to catch up" Laura said, her sensible side showing. Max nodded and stood, stretching, the others winced a bit as her joints clicked loudly.

"See you in a bit, don't do anything I wouldn't," Max said with a smirk directed at Laura, she had obviously noticed Sasuke.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do?"

"Fair point," Max shrugged. She left the house, taking a long route to the tower. The sun had begun to rise so the early risers were up and around starting to clutter up the streets.

She headed down some secluded alleys avoiding the civilians, due to the limiters she didn't want to waste chakra when she didn't need to, so she was walking. It wasn't that surprising when she bumped into someone. She was surprised when she saw it was an ANBU captain.

She muttered and apology before moving around the man. The man who hadn't moved a muscle since Max had bumped into him. It was only when Max had turned the corner he snapped out of it.

"Max?"

Max walked into Tsunade's office surprising the three occupants. Tsunade because Max used the door, Kakashi because Max was back in one piece with no obvious injuries, and finally Shiba because Max was just there in general, Max hadn't seen Shiba since her first time at the academy. Along with Shisui Uchiha, Shiba was supposed to have been on her team.

"Look what the cat dragged it," Shiba sneered. Max chuckled, she had wondered where she had gotten the personality for Zeta from. It was one of the reasons she had asked the Third to change her team.

"It can talk? I didn't think that it had the brain power… or the brain" Max retorted. A change of scene was nice, taunting Teyla got repetitive.

"Ladies please. Shiba, I understand what your requesting but I need to think about whether I can sort it out along with everything else that's happening" Tsunade said cutting up what promised the be the beginning of an argument.

Shiba bowed and then left not without a smirk in Max's direction, leaving Kakashi and Max still there in front of Tsunade. Kakashi threw a scroll at Max who caught it and stored it in its pouch.

"I suppose I should tell you that scroll was blank," Max grinned.

"So what brings you back?" Tsunade asked calmly. It was taking everything not to be smiling broadly at the girl's return.

"You did ask me to come back when I could, until now I've been halfway across a galaxy isolated from earth, I trust you got my mission reports"

"Of course, I still wonder how you managed to get them here," Tsunade said, hinting about wanting to know.

"Ah, that's a bit tricky and there's no way I can explain it, so anything interesting happen?"

"Team seven now consists of three jounin," Kakashi injected, he knew Max wanted to know about them but forgotten to tell her earlier.

"Awesome. Why is Sai on the team?"

"You're aware of ANBU roots? Sai was recommended by Danzo to keep an eye on Naruto and other reasons that became known later. Naruto's worked his magic and Sai now has feelings"

"If Danzo crosses the line…" Max offered. She knew finishing that sentence was next to treason. She had had a brief encounter with ANBU roots when Danzo had tried to recruit her and temporarily succeeded until he found she only joined to vandalise the HQ. She had then told him to stick it.

"That reminds me Max, that book of yours-" Kakashi started.

"-I don't want to know who I've offended now" Max interrupted.

"It more of the fact Sai read it a while ago and decided to experiment with his sexuality… on Naruto and Sasuke."

"I'll bet they loved that," Max sniggered. "What did Shiba want anyway?"

"To transfer from her team to become Itachi's partner"

"What rank is she?"

"Chunin of the seduction section." Max burst out laughing, SedSec was a running joke for the jounin and higher. Anyone who didn't have the fighting skills to become an active fighter went to SedSec.

"And she wants to be Itachi's partner, he needs someone who can help him, not hinder him. Second thought, please do, Itachi can accidently forget about her when they get attacked or something"

"Max…"

"What, you know she's a pain as well"

"Max, listen up, you may have only got back but there's something you need to know, Shiba and Itachi are going out," Tsunade said breaking the news with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Max was silent for a bit.

"When I told him to get a girlfriend I was hoping for something along the lines of _anyone_ else" Max looked at the two suspisiously. "You aren't telling me something. What aren't you telling me?"

Kakashi looked like he was about to say something but a glare from Tsunade silenced him.

"If you aren't going to tell me then I'm going to go, I have other people to catch up with," Max said placing a scroll on the desk and jumping out the window. Next port of call: Hana's house.

Visiting Hana didn't quite go to plan. Max's next stop would defiantly be home so she could get rid of the dog slobber. Hana had been happy to see her, they had caught up a bit about the last few years. Hana was currently dating Radiou, a shinobi Max vaguely remembered working with on an occasion.

After a quick shower Max headed to her next destination: the memorial stone. She saw team seven training there so watched them from a distance, to see how long it would take to be noticed.

Not long it seemed as she was hogtied before she realised what was going on. She quickly understood she'd been watching a genjutsu. The three boys of team seven towered over her and Kakashi over them. She used FA to make sure it wasn't another genjutsu.

"You're getting slow Max, I thought you were a Sannin"

"I blame my stint on Atlantis and some people who woke me up too early this morning," Max said glaring at the two.

"It's a good thing you turned up then, we can have multiple pairs sparing today" Kakashi suggested, Max could see him smirking and wanted nothing better than to punch him.

"But you said you would help me with my new Rasengan," Naruto pointed out.

"Looks like you don't need me," Max said hopefully, wriggling around a bit, they had tied her up well, maybe she could apperate away so they wouldn't catch her as she made her escape.

"Not exactly, I did remember Naruto, we just have another person who's going to be training with us." The way he said that gave Max a very bad feeling.

"Sorry I'm late I just- Max? You are back." Another figure towered over the boys. A distinctly familiar one.

"Itachi? No wonder Kakashi looked so smug. Now if anyone cares to untie me before I find a reason to take a long holiday, far away"

"But you said you would come back" Naruto pouted, or at least she thought he was, they was standing in her light so she could see very little detail.

"And I did Naruto, here I am. I didn't mention for how long though" Max muttered, she shifted position a few times to try to find an easy way out of the situation. "Are you guys just going to watch?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me" Naruto shrugged, Max thought he might have been a bit hurt by the fact she might leave again. She would have to resort to other methods. She concentrated a bit and there was a small pop as a pair of silver ears, it had been a while since they had been out so it was a strange feeling. She added a pout and wide eyes to the mix and looked up at them.

"Aww, so cute," Kakashi cooed, he still had that damn smirk. Max blamed him for everything but wasn't going to give up her act yet, she could see the others crumbling to her adorableness.

She felt the ropes loosen slightly, none of them had moved, or visibly moved but it had been enough for her to escape. She slipped out and disappeared from sight. She hadn't gone far, watching them from a tree was good enough for her. She had FA on so she wouldn't be caught by the same trick twice, then she noticed something. Using FA she could only count four people, one was an illusion.

"You may have fooled the others but you haven't fooled me yet," Itachi told her, sitting on a tree behind. He jumped forward onto Max's branch and reached to her furry ears to stroke them.

"I didn't think I would, yet you fooled me." Max's words seemed colder than she had intended. She felt Itachi pause in his stroking and withdraw his hand.

"You heard about that then?" he sighed, Max got the same feeling she was missing something.

"Tsunade could have been more subtle about it but yes, I know. It's fine, I just would have liked to be told by you"

"I didn't really get a chance. I haven't even been able to say hello yet"

"You have time now," Max pointed out.

"How about over breakfast, we can catch up while you eat" Itachi was looking pointedly at her, she did think she looked that skinny. While she hadn't been eating properly it wasn't her fault. Food just wasn't as appealing after many attempts at poison and controlling her.

"I'm fine"

"Alcohol is not breakfast, it doesn't look like you've been eating properly. Rations don't count as food over long periods of time," Itachi lectured, he had figured Max probably wasn't actually paying attention. He would figure something out. Maybe ask Tsunade to request a mission for Max to deliver something to the hospital. Max feared the nurses as much as the next shinobi.

"I suppose I can deal with breakfast, so long as Shiba isn't there," Max agreed, breaking Itachi out of his planning.

--

Review please


	2. Well this sucks, royally

It's been a while, I've been kinda busy helping crew for the 6th form revue. I actually had a part in the show, I was an amazing dead body in the CSI sketch. It was amazing though, especially as we had about a week to put it together.

--

Breakfast was quiet, Itachi wanted to make sure she ate so he avoided talking about anything that Max might consider running from, there would be more time later. Max ate her fair share leading Itachi to assume that Max had just been either too busy to eat or forgetful. He had to resist stroking her ears, Max had evidently forgotten about them and it was adorable the way they moved corresponding with her expressions.

Max was due to be back at work within a few days of her 'mission' to the hospital courtesy of Itachi and Tsunade. She had been severely underweight and the doctors were amazed she was still able to sneak out on no less than seven occasions without being caught (and the three she had been caught). They had found very little problem with her other than that. Maybe a bit of liver damage from her alcoholic lifestyle.

At least it was only a few days she had to wait.

She had been warned that she might get colder easily due to less body fat to store heat and if she ever wanted kids she would need to get her weight up and keep it up. She had been given high carbohydrate rations to eat over the next month, she wasn't exactly the first to become underweight after a mission. Shinobi who spent long stints in places where food was scarce or if they had been captured and food restricted, both would lead to weight loss.

She sat in a tree considering how to get back at Itachi, she knew it was his fault. Tsunade was less subtle than that and probably drunk from the booze Max had brought back.

Naturally thinking about Itachi got her onto thinking about his relationship. Max didn't like Shiba on principal, she had done nothing to change that, and they both seemed fine with it. But if Itachi was close maybe she should try, Max may not have had much experience with relationships but she didn't want to make things difficult. She'd read stories of this kind of situations, the boy would have to chose between them, typical love triangle, slightly twisted but triangular none the less.

"What are you thinking about?" a familiar voiced asked. Laura climbed up to the branch next to her.

"Nothing"

"Liar, you're always thinking, I know you"

"Nothing I want to share" Max elaborated.

"Still hate Shiba then, but you don't want to intrude on their relationship. As I said I know you"

"I don't want to talk about it"

"This is deeper than that though, you're scared of something, nervous, you don't want to intervene for some reason."

"Stop it! I don't want my soul laid bare here and now"

"You need to get it out in the open. What happened to the Max who moved on no matter what happened?" Laura asked glaring at Max who refused to meet her gaze.

"She moved on, and none of your manipulative psychology you use can change that unless I so decide to," Max hissed.

"Do you really have such a strong desire for me to actually look into it? I only left it alone out of respect but this isn't healthy for you"

"Who would you tell? How would it help me? Knowing is only half the battle after all"

"It is, isn't it?" Max was caught before she slipped of her perch. She hated the fact she wasn't as observant, Atlantis had made her to compliant with the situation. People would have had trouble sneaking up on her before.

"How long have you been listening?" she demanded glaring at Itachi. She had made a mistake by not paying attention to her surroundings as she had argued with Laura. She was lowered to the grassy floor and followed by Itachi and Laura.

"Apparently your mind is always actively thinking," he said, referring to the beginning of the conversation. Max switched her glare back to Laura, it had probably been her plan. "I knew you were hiding things, I was curious"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Max spat at both of them. Why couldn't they leave something's to fade away? She tensed slightly, if they wouldn't leave her alone then she would leave them alone. She moved a fraction of a second too late and was pinned, her hand's firmly held apart.

"Max you need to stop running from this." Laura was almost pleading.

"I'll stop running when I no longer have to run"

"Max, I'm sorry," Itachi whispered in her ear, Max's eyes widened in confusion. "I know what happened, words can not explain how much I regret everything that happened."

"How did you find out?"

"This isn't the first time you had that reaction, I only had to find out what happened the first time." Itachi felt all resistance Max had been putting up fade. She let herself go limp, there was no point struggling, they weren't going to leave it.

"Why couldn't you have left it alone? I had forgotten it, left it in the past, why did you have to bring it back?"

"This isn't a problem you can solve by ignoring," Laura said. "You may have ignored most of your other memories but I'm not going to let this affect your life. You're my best friend, I owe it to you"

"Then I guess I owe you a full explanation before you go and make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me' by assuming. What happened is only part of the issue. I never blamed you Itachi. If I had thought about my actions I could have prevented the whole thing. I was the one who challenged Hathor, I knew I had no chakra, if I had been sensible I would have waited until I was fully able to fight. I think some part of me knew what would happen, but actually having it happen scared me." Max paused, letting them think about it.

She shifted a bit to see if she could at least move to a sitting position but was almost completely pinned, the contact was preventing her from apparating.

"It's ironic really, I created FA so I wouldn't have to experience it, yet two times it's been directed at me I haven't been using FA," Max couldn't really bring herself to smile at her own joke. It would probably help if Itachi wasn't sitting on her to stop her from escaping. They stayed like that for a while, mulling over the information

"Itachi-koi!" The trio groaned, why did Shiba have to turn up now. "There you are, what are you doing?" Shiba screeched. Max managed to roll over taking Itachi by enough surprise that he couldn't keep her pinned. She sat up and stretched, then fell backwards to lie comfortably on the grass.

"Can't you keep your abnormally large arse out of this?" Max complained, Shiba had walked over to Itachi next o her and was casting a shadow over Max. "It's bad enough that you exist, but must you ruin my day be making me endure your presence." Screw being nice and not intruding. There was something about Shiba that rubbed Max the wrong way.

Laura had noticed this, she dislike Shiba as well, but this was more out of distrust than just hate. In one of her cases she had seen something suspicious but there was no way to currently follow it up. She would have to wait.

"Still short tempered I see, Max you really need to grow up." Shiba taunted, giggling at her joke.

"I would prefer to be short with my skills than tall with your lack of skill," Max responded dryly sitting up. She sensed someone running at her from behind. She grabbed the fist aimed for the back of her head and pulled it forward, using her other hand to tip her attacker forward into a dive straight into the ground. "Strength is nothing if you are easily taken off course, Sakura. I take it from that fact Sasuke was in Laura's room this morning that you haven't achieved your 'dream'," Max sneered.

The reactions were priceless, Laura blushed, giving Max the impression it wasn't the first time he'd been there. Itachi was chuckling, Max could already imagine the ribbing that Sasuke was going to receive, and Sakura was looking very pissed off. Shiba just looked indifferent.

"So what, I'll win him over at the summer festival," Sakura declared. Max looked puzzled, prompting an explanation from Laura.

"The summer festival this year has a talent show, due to our connections with earth some people have copied some music styles or will be singing to earth songs. The actual show is on the last day of the festival. Tsunade wants any shinobi not on a mission to participate"

"You know what, I think I'm gonna skip out on that," Max said, she could take a wild guess that the stage would become a battlefield between kunoichi and would rather avoid it. She was fine with her current self-esteem and no show was going to change that.

"Figures you would be too talentless to take part," Shiba sneered at her, of course the sedsec kunoichi would be singing. She'd heard the perfect song to taunt Max some more.

"Oh I have talent, plenty of it. I, how ever, don't need to inflate my ego." Itachi couldn't help but be a little disappointed. He would have liked to see what Max could do. Max looked up to the sky after noticing something. "Oh and would you look at the time, I have somewhere to be," Max mumbled looking at her tattooed wrist as it there was a watch there, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. She reappeared in Tsunades office.

"That was quick" Tsunade looked startled, not just at the quickness but the solid stance, the nearest Max would probably get to showing she was annoyed.

"I wanted to get out of the situation anyway," Max shrugged. "So, what's up?"

"I know you still have three days rest but this is hardly going to be stressful, you need to deliver this scroll to the Kazekage, he may need time to compile a reply so wait for it." Tsunade informed her, holding up said scroll. "And you may have heard but there's a talent show later this month, I expect you to participate"

"With all due respect, forget it, I don't want to incite a pissing contest with the other participants"

"Max-" Tsunade began but was cut off.

"No-" It was Max's turn to be interrupted.

"Max. you may have blackmail on most of the people on this planet, and probably others as well, but I still am your superior, I don't pull this often but it would really boost morale in the village. It didn't help when you seemingly abandoned this place"

"Seeing as I don't seem to have a choice, I will have something sorted by the show. I know this isn't for morale, and I know you have some other motive for this. I will find out." Max said her voice almost in a growl, she shushined back to her house to pick up her sealed equipment that she had dumped on her return from Atlantis. It had felt weird without them but she would eventually get used to having a place to call home again. She didn't think Naruto would forgive her if she ran off again so soon.

Picking out the right scrolls was easy enough, a quick check of her room revealed that it was untouched except for the bed, it was as if someone had either sat or lain on it. She would ask about it later though, she wanted to be on her way before the dinner rush. A note was left on the kitchen table for the other occupants of the house.

-

Tsunade sat in her office thinking over her plans, Max wasn't quite responding as she had initially thought,, this would need to carefully sorted or everything would fall apart. She held up the council's statement on the matter and glared at it. If she could be straighter to the point with Max then this would have been easier. If only Max had never bothered to piss of the council when she was younger then this wouldn't be a problem.

--

I bet your curious now. Oh so very curious.

Review please


	3. Who knew I would affect so many

Yay for half term!

--

It was with the hope that her mission would take long enough so she would miss the show that Max walked to Suna at a civilians pace. She had a feeling that Tsunade had planed for that, but Max was willing to find out what.

Max was approaching the Wind-fire border when she felt someone familiar approaching. She knew she had many people to catch up with so her mission would probably take longer than anticipated. Tsunade would understand.

"Maxie!" Max allowed herself to be enveloped in a hug. She knew she would end up getting more as she found more people.

"Hey Dei-chan, where's your cloak?" The lack of Akatsuki cloak was puzzling, she hadn't seen him without it.

"It's my day off, what brings you here, un?"

"Mission to Suna"

"I meant what brings you back here, you disappeared for a good couple of months, un"

"I was exploring, I only had the opportunity to return yesterday"

"Have you met Shiba then?" Deidara asked, he had no idea how she would react so was ready to run.

"I know her, she was supposed to be on my team once upon a time, I also know about her and Itachi if that's what you meant"

"I also heard she's going to be performing in the festival. They say she has quite the voice, un"

"Deidara, you suck at being subtle, I'm not going to fall for that poor attempt at manipulation"

"How about blackmail?"

"I beat you at that too"

"How about a challenge, you win I do something for you, I win you do your best act for the show, un"

"What challenge?" Deidara grinned, Max wasn't completely immune to manipulation like this. She never could resist a good challenge. Max was just considering what she could do if-when she won. It had been a while since she had last been challenged fully.

"Pin ten leaves to that tree using only nine sebon, I'll create an explosion to get some leaves to fall for you, un"

"You really thought about this. So shake the tree," Max urged, her fingers reaching for her sebon pouch. Deidara smirked, he had thought about this a lot more that she would ever assume. He had been contacted by Tsunade after Max had returned to set this up for her. Max would always find a way around direct orders, but she would never go back on a challenge.

Deidara exploded some pre-planted clay and watched as Max worked. Just as the last two were pinned, Deidara exploded some more clay, no thicker than a spiders thread, on the leaves. The shredded remains fell to the ground. Max looked at it puzzling over it for a few seconds.

"You set this up." It wasn't a question.

"I want to see you perform at the festival, un," Deidara shrugged, it was partially the truth. He was curious about what Max would do.

"I have a mission to attend to, I suppose I'll see you at the festival," Max grumbled before leaving.

"I really hope this works, un," Deidara said to himself after he was sure she had gone.

Travelling through the desert was a good time for thinking. Many great minds had thought up revolutionary ideas when wandering through a desert. Unfortunately most died, were presumed dead or went insane. Max was weary of the desert, she knew of its tricks, mirages and dangers. What she hadn't expected was an ambush about an hours travel from Suna. The second the sand had grabbed her she could tell who was attacking.

"Long time no see Gaara," she choked out, Gaara really needed to learn not to put that much pressure on her, breathing was being a bit difficult. The red head silently headed to Suna with Max in tow still encased mostly in sand. "I'm heading that way anyway, I can walk"

Gaara remained silent, Max was left wondering how he would react when they got to Suna, assuming her ribs held out. She could tell he was thinking, when he had an angry thought, the sand contracted, and when he relaxed, the sand loosened.

"Jeez, more mood swings than a girl. I do like my ribs intact, so stop crushing them," Max complained. The sand squeezed tighter as if to spite her before loosening a bit. "I don't suppose you could put me down please?" Max added sweetly. The sand moved her to right in front of Gaara.

"Why did you leave?" He asked, the eye contact was a bit unnerving but Max held steady.

"I needed to get away"

"You could have come to Suna," Gaara pointed out. Max had thought about that before but she still would have encountered people who would have noticed her depression.

"It was to close, I didn't want the Hokage to fake something just to get me back, so I needed to be out of contact. I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I took it"

"You could have told me you were going"

"I could have also been intercepted and then I would have had to kiss good bye my plans. Gaara, I'm really sorry I left without telling you, I couldn't tell anyone. How about I tell you about my travels over lunch, to make up for it." Maybe he would also put her down. She watched him think it over, he was one of the only people who looked for an alternative motive when she suggested something. He obviously couldn't think of anything as he nodded and continued to walk to Suna, still holding onto Max using the sand.

"I don't suppose you could put me down and let me walk"

"No"

"I suppose it was worth a try," Max said, trying to shrug before remembering the sand limited her movement.

It was only after lunch Max remembered about the scroll. She had handed it over despite the feeling of impending doom. Gaara had read it with no expression which Max wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.

"I expect you'll be wearing something nice at the festival for your performance," Gaara said looking at her with a critical eye. Max tried to grab the scroll out of his hand but he encased it in sand. "You might want to know that your mission suspension will be lifted after the show, if you don't turn up then you're supposed to go back to the hospital for a check up, so you may leave and do as you wish as long as you attend. Tsunade also says that you will thank her one day for this"

"Are you going to the festival?" Max asked.

"I heard one of my friends would be performing so I will be there for moral support. I have one request before we return. It's too late to start out tonight, so stargazing? Like old times" Gaara asked, the dark circles around his eyes made her feel so helpless she couldn't help but agree. He was about the only person who could use the innocent eyes on her and succeed. The dark circles around his eyes just made him look cuter.

It was strange to look at a familiar set of stars after spending so much time without the chance. Atlantis, because it was in the Pegasus galaxy, had an almost complete different sky and so did Earth because it was at a different point in the Milky Way.

Max slept through most of the day, she had given up using caffeine to stay up, the effects were getting less and less effective so she was only using it when needed. Gaara still had something's to sort out before he could go on his 'diplomatic mission' to Konoha. Max didn't mind, she had time to sleep and time to figure out what she would be doing.

She dismissed her first idea, while she was a good actor she doubted anyone would be impressed if she turned up acting as if she had almost died in an ambush. No matter how realistic she got it.

Many of the girls would probably be singing or dancing, Tenten would probably be showing off with weapons, it didn't leave many original ideas that could be shown. Max never did things by half, if she was going to take part then she was going to do something good.

She would get them back after the show, just to remind them that she didn't like being manipulated.

By the time Max, Gaara and his guards headed off, the festival was half way done. It was a week long in total, with the talent show followed by fireworks on the last day. Only then did Max remember she was supposed to be helping with the fireworks as well.

She would definitely be going 'travelling' after this. Maybe she would go to wave. Max shook her head, not after her last visit, that had gone badly and she would rather avoid being yelled at. Spring country sounded good, she could visit Princess Yukie. Last Max heard Yukie was going to be acting in the film adaptation of Jiraiya's book, and she had heard that a while before she left.

Gaara wasn't sure whether Max knew that she was mumbling. He wouldn't tell the others her plans unless she was in danger or something bad happened in the village. He understood Max needed some space, she was fiercely independent and he respected that.

The festival was noticeable as they approached the giant gates, Max felt sorry for Izumo and Kotetsu, they were on guard duty so had to stay sober.

"Heya Max, Kazekage-sama, you two here for the festival?"

"Is there any other reason we would be here?" Max asked, she got the passes back and they entered the village not giving the two guards a chance to say anything more. She would make it up to them later but for now she needed to get home and plan. She escorted Gaara to Tsunade's office first, escaping before Tsunade could corner her and add to the list of what she needed to do.

She sat in room for once, lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. The trees would be filled with couples seeking somewhere private. She glanced around the room, it was pretty plain, she hadn't really spent that much time in here for a while, even when she was younger it was there as a place to sleep when she wasn't on mission or training. There were no personalised touches to be seen. Max felt someone walking down the hallway towards her room but ignored it, she knew who it was. There was a click as the previously locked door opened. The person stood there for a bit, not saying a word.

"What are you thinking about now?" Itachi asked, finally.

"Just wondering if having my door locked was enough of a hint that I didn't want to be disturbed." Max replied, not looking over to him, she was content with staring at the ceiling.

"If you really didn't want to be disturbed you would have left the traps in the hall way activated"

"No, I should have reset them, they were triggered but someone tried to reset them so I wouldn't know, they almost got it right but I have a safety on them, if anyone but me resets them then they won't activate," Max explained.

"You put a lot of thought into that despite not being here much"

"When I am here I tend to be at my weakest so need the extra protection it would give, there is a lot more to the traps than meets the eye"

"There's a lot more to you than meet the eye"

"Is there a reason you're here?" Max asked.

"I was curious as to who was here, you've rarely been in this room unless you were tired"

"Now you know," Max said, she had just noticed a number on one of her ceiling tiles in tiny script. She didn't remember writing it and wanted to know who wrote it and what it meant. Unfortunately it was in the most generic handwriting possible. To get any clues she would need a closer look which she wasn't going to do with Itachi around.

"It's the number of ceiling tiles," Itachi informed her. Max sat up and looked at him questioningly.

"Naruto sat in here waiting for you to come back, he was really hurt when you left. He wasn't the only one."

Max felt guilty about her plans to leave again, especially so soon after finally returning. She was only now realising how isolated she had become in Atlantis. Only talking to a few people and not often at that. She sighed and lay across her bed, legs dangling over the side. She felt the mattress dip slightly as Itachi sat on the bed next to her.

"Need to talk about it?"

"I wouldn't know where to start"

"I do." Max saw a bottle being held over her head and recognised it and smiled. Booze was probably the best place to start.

The next morning Laura glanced in Max's room, over the time Max had been away it had become habit, just in case she had returned. Laura hadn't expected the scene in front of her. She could guess the situation that had lead to the scene laid out before her, the numerous bottles scattered around the room were a big hint. Max was curled up on her bed fast asleep.

What Laura found really funny, was the fact Itachi was curled around Max. She took a photo, a smirk on her face, Max was going to be eighteen in a few months. All the blackmail/embarrassing photos or written up memories would be put in an album for her. Max would be doing the same for her and they both would join up for one for Naruto.

Rather than disturb the two, Laura left silently. She was glad to have seen that, despite Itachi officially being in a relationship with Shiba, she had noticed Itachi had been avoiding the SedSec chunin where ever possible. That wasn't the sign of a relationship.

Max was the first of the two to wake, her internal clock was still skewed. Her first reaction was to get away but she suppressed it, she was warm and felt safe, there was no reason to move. She fell asleep again not long later but not before changing here after-talent-show-and-fireworks plan.

--

Please review


	4. Talent show

'Sup? I realise this is a much quicker update than usual but this originally was part of chapter 3.

I don't own any of the song in this chapter, I have only used some of the lyrics, not the whole song, if prompted I will remove them. I've only used them so that people without sound can understand what's going on.

--

All too soon the week drew to an end, it was time for the talent show. A stage had been placed in the arena more commonly used in the chunin exams. Around the stage had been submerged in water, the ripples would reflect the lights to give a good effect, the lights themselves had been rigged up earlier in a range of colours. Big screens were places on the roofs similar to that at football games on earth. Genin were scurrying around setting up the first act, they would be doing the scene changes. Max watched in amusement, it was good training for them, teamwork, speed and stealth. Better training than painting a fence anyway.

Gaara took his seat in the Kage's box next to Tsunade, they exchange pleasantries before turning to the stage down below waiting for the show to start. Tsunade had been hard pressed to find a pair of comperes for the show who would work well together but had decided on Izumo and Kotetsu to make up for sticking them on guard duty for most of the week. The show started at 7 pm, the stage lit up by floodlights as it got darker.

The duo appeared on the stage with little embellishment, they weren't there to show off, they were there to link the acts.

"Welcome to Konoha's first annual Talent show, here you will see acts from our very own shinobi, whether it be song, music, dance or sketch"

"First up, an Earth song, sung by Sakura Haruno, 'Girlfriend'." They disappeared to be replaced by a microphone and the pink haired girl. A discreet signal from her started the fast paced music and she burst into song right on cue.

"_Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend_." Max had to admit, it was a good imitation but as usual Sakura was as subtle as a brick to the face.

"I don't think she likes me," Laura murmured just inside Max's hearing range. They both giggled for the rest of the song. They watched as Sakura bounced around the stage. Both girls secretly hoped Sakura would misstep and fall into the water.

"I can almost guarantee Shiba does something similar," Max added as the song ended and Izumo appeared on stage.

"Well I think someone's a little bit jealous," he announced smirking, being friends with Max and by association, Laura meant he knew exactly what was going on. "Next up is…" Max tuned out, she wasn't until about the seventeenth act and she would notice if something interesting was on.

She remembered from the running order that there were about thirty acts in total, split between two segments. A couple were down as surprise acts that no one knew of except the comperes and participants in the act. Max had found out what a few of them were in the short time she had been back.

She had no idea what Itachi and Sasuke were doing and that bugged her, they had kept it a good secret. Laura had a slot as well. In fact Laura was up next. the fourteenth act. It was getting darker and son some lanterns had been lit and put to float on the water. Laura had that elegance that seemed impossible to pull off she wore a full kimono in different shades of blue.

Max looked up as she head the familiar opening bars from the speakers. She knew this song.

"_No sits with him, he doesn't fit in. But we feel like we do when we make fun of him. Cause you want to belong, do you go along? Cause his pain is the price paid for you to belong..._"

Looking around the stadium there were people musing over the lyrics. The situation wasn't unfamiliar to them.

"_Heroes are made when you make a choice..._" Max gave a small smile, the choices she had made, did they make her a hero?

"_No one talks to her, she feels so alone, she's in to much pain to survive on her own. The hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife, she writes on her arm wants to give up her life..._"

By now a lot of the audience were tearing up, not a single civilian had a dry eye. Many feeling the guilt from their behaviour to Naruto, Anko and others they had ostracized.

"_No one talks to him about how he lives, he thinks that the choices he make are just his. Doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves, and other will follow the choices he's made…_"

Max listened to the lyrics, she loved this song, she was wondering which version it would be when Sasuke appeared on stage for the rap at the end.

"_Little Mikey D. was the one in class, who every day got brutally harassed. This went on for years until he decided that never again would he shed another tear…_"

The last chorus finished in almost silence, before the crowd burst into applause. The song really touched most of them, some people would never change, Danzo for instance was still bitter and ignored the song's message.

The half way mark came up and people moved around to get drinks and snacks. Max stayed where she was sat and was joined by Itachi.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Never"

"You don't seem that sure." He held up her wrist to show it trembling slightly.

"It always does that," Max insisted.

"We both know it doesn't," Itachi pointed out, in ANBU they had managed to suppress reactions like that.

"I need to get ready for my act." Max didn't want to get into a debate now about it. She stood up and stretched a bit and turned to leave but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder spinning her around to face him. She felt lips on hers briefly.

"Good luck," he whispered before returning to when he had been sat with his brother earlier. Max stood there stunned for a few seconds before heading of to get changed. Her mind was on what had just happened, He'd kissed her, he had a girlfriend, girlfriend was not her. While he had done that before she hadn't known that he had a girlfriend then.

Max stood on the stage, her bamboo panpipes in hand, she looked around the stadium, it seemed fuller than at the chunin exams. She stood so the sound would be picked up by the microphone place on the stage for her. For the first time she wore a kimono, white with green vines and red flowers, its wide sleeves covered her arms but the kimono itself barely reached her knees and was very loose.

She was silently cursing Laura, she had handed it to her earlier that morning along with some blood pops. Max had been happy at the sight of the blood pops she had agreed to wear the kimono without thinking. She tried to tug down the skirt part but the obi held it firmly in place.

She cleared her mind and raised the panpipes to her lips.

The piece she played had no name, and was her own composition, switching seamlessly from haunting to cheerful and then to calm. Behind her was a screen she moulded chakra into to create an image relating to the music, it changed as the melody did.

As all music starts, all music must finish, Max finished with the image of a sunset, the silhouette of a swing hanging from a tree branch. She took a bow as the audience gave their applause. Then she disappeared in a cloud of smoke returning to her previous spot where she had been observing the show. She didn't want to miss whatever Shiba would come up with, hers had been one of the ones Max hadn't found out. She smirked as the song began.

"_He was a boy, she was girl. Can I make it any more obvious? He was a punk, she did ballet, what more can I say?_"

Max was tempted to sabotage the rest of it but she wasn't about to rise to the taunt. Stooping that low was a place Max rarely went. After the show however was fair game. She glanced around, see if anyone else cared about the song.

Laura was laughing, to be expected, Shiba was predictable in her choice of song. Itachi was smirking, Max wasn't sure about why, her mind immediately jumping to several different conclusions.

It wasn't helping Shiba's case when she hit some bad notes with her singing. Despite the audience not really knowing the song, it was still evident.

Finally her song ended, some people applauded her, most were obviously out of politeness than anything else.

Now that what she had wanted to observe was over Max headed back to get changed into her normal clothes, while she would be getting changed again later she didn't want to give away the finale. She was intercepted on her way by the woman who she had just been laughing at.

"Get out of my way Shiba, I want to get changed"

"I just wanted to let you know that your slutty attempt to get Itachi's attention failed," Shiba sneered blocking Max's path. It would have been easy to push past but Max had an excellent opportunity to taunt her.

"Slutty? I'm not the one looking like a prostitute. You are aware there were little kids in the audience. Besides, if I wanted his attention I wouldn't need to wear as little clothing as possible to do so." Max then walked around the chunin to get changed.

Due to the fact Max really couldn't be bothered to watch more of the acts yet she wandered around the village. Pretty much everyone was at the show, it gave her the best opportunity to set up the fireworks. She place the different explosives in places she thought would give the best effect for them, some on the roof of the stadium, the roman candles and such, while some of the rockets were set on the Hokage mountain so they would explode high up above the stadium for the best view for everyone. The only problem had been getting 3 dimensional fireworks or some people would only see the side and no pattern but she had managed.

The finale would be a work of genius, especially at such short notice. Max reluctantly returned to the stadium after giving a final check and hiding the fireworks under a genjutsu so no one would see them. The last thing she wanted was someone to notice and dismantle her hard work.

She got back in time to see Tenten shooting weapons at target set up around the stadium walls and even some floating ones. The blades glowed enough to be easily tracked by a civilian, Max assumed someone had charmed them for her.

Thinking about it Tenten's act was the twenty eighth act so only to more before Max would take to the stage again.

That meant that there was one more act until Itachi and Sasuke's part. She couldn't help but be curious at what they would be doing.

Only Tsunade knew about the firework act at the end but had made Max have another act as well, the fireworks were just an extra. Max quickly got changed for her finale, she didn't want to miss either of the next two acts.

She watched Ino, Kurenai, Laura, Hinata, Anko, and surprisingly Temari all take to the stage, standing in a circle each holding a fold up chair facing outwards. Their clothes were ripped and in various stages of disarray as if they had been in a street brawl. It still covered more than Shiba's had. A snap of their wrists opened the chairs and they were placed with a thud on the stage in unison.

"And now, the six merry murderesses of Crookem County Jail, in their rendition of 'The Cell Block Tango'," Izumo introduced in a deeper voice that usual.

"_Pop_"

"_Six_"

"_Squish_"

"_Uh, uh_"

"_Cicero_"

"_Lipshitz_"

Max smirked the entire way though the song. Hinata had picked up the Hungarian words of her part easily. Their dancing was well choreographed and had all of the precision that took a lot of practice, none of them were even half a second out of time.

They disappeared in a puff of smoke, echoing their words as the smoke cleared.

"Well I don't envy anyone who pisses those six off," Kotetsu decided. "Up next, Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha, they have two songs for us, both from Earth"

The genin scurried to put the drum kit, keyboard and microphone on stage how it was meant to be. The brothers appeared on stage, Sasuke sitting at the drums, Itachi by the microphone, electric guitar in his hands, a clone that looked like a mix of both turned up on bass and another behind the keyboard. The screams were almost deafening, even Max couldn't help but drool a little, she had found a very nice combo, Uchiha and leather, skin-tight leather.

"_She cold and she cruel but she knows what she's doin'. She pushed be in the pool at our last school reunion,_" Itachi sung, the screams from the stands getting louder. A few people guessed they had used Sharingan to learn how to play.

Max had to wonder who he was singing about, Shiba wasn't that kind of the girl, so was he singing about her?

"_Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off my feet. And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else. She's a mystery, she's too much for me. But I keep coming back for more. She's just the girl I'm looking for_"

The song ended and instead of going into the next song Itachi pulled the microphone close.

"I bet you're all wondering who I'm talking about." Screams gave him his answer. "Then this song should clear it up for you"

"_She calls me baby, then she won't call me. Says she adores me, and then ignores me. Maxie, what's the problem?" _There was a gasp throughout the stadium but they kept playing._ "She keeps her distance, sits on fences, puts up resistance, builds her defences_"

Max was frozen, stuff was no longer making sense to her. Why did things have to be so confusing.

"_First you say you won't, then you say you will. You keep me hanging on, and we're not moving on. We're standing still, Maxie. You've got me on my knees. Maxie, it's killing me_."

The lights blacked out as he finished, a single spotlight lit up Itachi as he spoke into the microphone again. The genin started to take away the rest of the equipment and Sasuke moved to watch.

"In case people still aren't sure about this I'll say it loud and clear. Shiba and I are no longer together, it would never have worked. Max, even when you aren't here you rule my heart, and when you are around I can't help but watch. I can't imagine my life without knowing you, though I can guarantee it would be dim." Itachi paused, he'd been hoping Max would turn up even if it was to hurt him.

"Is there more to your speech or should I just guess?" Max stepped into the spotlight from behind him. Itachi spun to face her pulling her into a kiss. Many wolf whistles were heard before Max withdrew but stayed close enough to feel his breath on her skin.

"If you don't mind, I believe the stage is now mine," she whispered, her eyes were dancing in excitement. Itachi kissed her briefly again before disappearing off the stage taking any remaining equipment with him.

Max stood centre stage, her hand's pressed together as if she was praying, her clothes this time were completely white and slightly loose. She pointed to the Kage's box, setting of the first firework planted on the roof above the box, then she spun in a circle lighting the rest of the initial roof top ones. Trails of sparkles lit up the roof. Max sped up her movements, dancing to silent music, setting of the fireworks with specific gestures.

The crowd watched as the sky was lit up by the colours, Max had used a couple of techniques to keep the crowd attention, moving the focus around the sky.

Then there was the finale. Max held a device in her hand, holding it above her head she activated it, sparkles started to pour out like a waterfall surrounding her. Max started to spin causing the light to twist. She sped up and lowered her arm to just above her head, then launched the device into the air. It still spun in the air showering the stadium in the glow as a spiral formed in the sky.

The colours changed, cycling through the rainbow as it spun. People were to amazed by it to wonder how it was staying in the air, only Laura noticed Max holding it in place with a charm.

The spiral turned back to a glowing white, the spiral expanded in the sky covering the visible sky, now instead of the whole thing changing colour, strands of light flickered.

The spiral then started to fade, the device falling out of the sky to be caught by Max who then bowed and then faded out of sight. Izumo and Kotetsu both took to the vacant stage lit up by spotligts.

"Thank you for attending the Konoha talent show, I'd also like to thank the company, the crew of genin who prepared the show and worked behind the scenes-"

"-and finally Tsunade-sama, who suggested the idea. Travel safely guys, peace out." The spotlights disappeared as the rest of the lights lit up so people could see where they were going.

Sitting on the stage, once everyone had gone, was Max, the light of the lanterns cast an orange glow around her. She dangled her feet in the water and idly wondered if Tsunade would keep it like this to make the next chunin exams interesting. Not that her life needed more livening up at the moment, Itachi had taken care of that for the moment.

"You are always thinking." Max turned to the voice. Itachi stood in the centre smirking.

"And you will always be guessing what on it," Max grinned.

"Can I guess over dinner tonight?" Itachi asked coyly, a hint of mischief visible in his eyes.

"I suppose." Max held out a hand and Itachi helped her up, both disappearing in a puff of smoke.

-

Song's used:

Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne

Heroes - Superchic[k]

Sk8er boi – Avril Lavigne

Cell block tango – Chicago (musical)

Just the girl – Click five

Jenny (slightly altered) – Click five

--

As I've said, songs belong to artists, not me.

Review please


	5. Is it worth rising or do I lay sleeping?

Hey, look another update, fancy that.

It's been two weeks (Which is a long time for me). Guess how many reviews I've had for the last two chapters?

None, zero, zilch, nada, nil, null, naught.

Do you, my readers, not like this story? I can end it here if you so wish.

I don't write for reviews, I _really_ like them but I don't depend on them, hence the update now. I just will take my own sweet time updating.

--

Max was back to staring at the ceiling in her room, she was considering redecorating, the white was boring and reminded her of many hospital stays. She couldn't help but wonder if she would spend that much more time in her room, she may not leave the village but she still would be taking missions.

She felt something warm stir besides her as she almost fell off her bed, she would defiantly like a bigger bed, and an even bigger duvet, Itachi liked to hog it.

It had been six days since the talent show. Max was still getting used to actually having a relationship, something's were easy to get adapt to like sharing a bed, on countless missions up north they had shared to keep warm. The spontaneous hug and physical affection still made her jump though. Laura was the only one who really knew why. It wasn't that Max had ever been physically abused or anything, almost the opposite, her parents had rarely shown her affection causing her to be socially awkward. She had mostly overcome it but relationships were still strange to her.

A glance at her alarm clock showed it was just past seven in the morning, Tsunade had asked them both to attend the next council meeting which was in about three hours. Max had no clue why, but had a feeling both Itachi and Tsunade knew. She didn't want to attend, it would only be boring but she couldn't help but be curious as to why they wanted her to come along.

She supposed she should get up, she wanted to be fully awake so she didn't do something stupid. She rolled off the bed, twisting so she landed on her feet. She didn't bother looking through her wardrobe, it was empty. Instead she took a scroll from one of her hidden drawers and unsealed some clothes and headed to the bathroom. She didn't think she'd make the right impression turning up in her pyjamas. It would just make her look lazy.

Looking at the time she remembered she was meeting with Naruto for breakfast. She was planning to spend time with Naruto to make up for her absence, if it hadn't been for the council meeting she would have offered to teach him a new technique.

After the breakfast, at that ramen place naturally, Naruto headed off to meet with team 7.5. Apparently Tsunade had mentioned the possibility of a decent mission if they trained hard. At least Tsunade knew how to push some people buttons.

Max headed off to the council chambers, technically as an adopted Hakie, and the older of the two, she was supposed to attend every meeting but because she was an active ninja she got out of it. Laura sometimes went in her stead but normally ended up doing some crosswords during it. Neither girl was interested in politics, nor did they have any desire to screw up something that they wouldn't be able to fix easily. She took her seat around the table, it was horse shoe shaped, Tsunade would be sitting at the peak of the curve, right in the middle. Max was sat at one of the ends, near enough to the door, but not in the line of fire should someone burst in. She noticed Itachi sitting neared to the middle, his clan was more renowned that hers. He also attended very little.

"All rise for the Fifth Hokage of Konoha." Everyone respectfully stood until Tsunade motioned for them to sit.

"First order of business, the festival. I like to think of it as a success. If anyone can think of a way it can be improved then please submit it in writing by the end of the week." Max started to zone out, the meeting continued in the same manner until something made Max focus.

"…And finally, the Uchiha situation. As I'm sure you are all aware of the happenings in the talent show leading to a change in this situation. Does anyone have concerns about this change?" Max scanned the room for changes in peoples expressions while she mulled over what she had just heard, trying to figure out what exactly was meant by that. Itachi was looking directly at her studying her reaction.

"I have a concern." Heads turned to the speaker. Danzo stood up to face the rest of the council. "While Hakie has shown that she is fully capable as a Kunoichi, I don't see her fit to raise future shinobi. She disappeared with no warning, what if she was to do that and leave the child?"

"Wait a second, hold the phone here. Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Max asked, her voice sounded dangerous to the occupants of the room. The implications of Danzo's words were not good to Max.

"I forgot you were unaware of this situation," Tsunade sighed.

"That is a load of bull crap, but go ahead and explain"

"When ever a clan such as the Uchiha's get dramatically reduced to less than five males, an act comes into play. To ensure strong offspring any males potential wife needs to be checked to see if she is viable"

"And if she isn't?"

"Then the union is discouraged and the male is to take on at least one surrogate to continue the clans line. This process took place when Itachi and Shiba were together and next year it will take place for Sasuke." Tsunade finished

"This is stupid, feel free to finish though, I'd love to know what you think of me. My ego could do with a boost" Max said leaning back in her chair.

"Then as I was saying-" Danzo said, he opened his mouth to continue but was cut off.

"No one cares about you," Tsunade snapped. She was not going to have all of her hard work undone, she was tempted to take Max up on her offer if it wasn't for the fact no murder could be left free of evidence. If they proved it was her then the only penalty would be death.

She of course didn't know about Max's death note. The only person other than Max who did know she had it was on a different galaxy. Laura though Max had gotten rid of it after the case had been resolved.

The meeting drew to a close, the final verdict being that Max was indeed a suitable match for Itachi. Tsunade took a moment to image how Max would have reacted if she hadn't. After a late lunch she called Max into her office.

"Well Max, now that you're going to be back for a while I need to give you something to keep you occupied," Tsunade informed her. Max shrugged as she slouched in her chair, she was tired even though it was four in the afternoon. "I have a mission lined up for team seven, except Sai and Kakashi. I'm sure you can take his place, let you reconnect with your old team, you'll be the team leader when you catch up"

"I do have a lot of reconnecting to do"

"You might want to head off then, they left this morning for the Land of Tea," Tsunade said with a grin. Max glared at her before disappearing. She could afford enough time to drop by Laura's work and tell her she was going. Itachi had been sent on a mission earlier that day so he wasn't around to tell.

Max knew that there was a significantly lower chance of being paired up with him for missions, people in a relationship were rarely put together in case it endangered the mission.

She set off in the vague direction of Land of Tea, she was tempted to apperate but she didn't want to turn up before the rest of the team, and she didn't want to turn up out of nowhere. Instead she was going ridiculously fast, she was glad the path hadn't changed much even with her reflexes she would be hard pressed to dodge something.

She saw a flash of someone vaguely familiar. She almost stopped to go check but remembered she couldn't get much further behind. The person had looked a bit like Itachi, and a similar chakra ID. But that was impossible, Itachi was in Grass country, the opposite direction to Tea.

She was over half way there when she stopped for a break, she didn't want to have accidently overtaken them so she headed to a restaurant nearby.

"Are you looking for the three boys who passed through about half an hour ago?" the owner of the restaurant asked.

"Uh, no, only two, blond and hyper, and the other, dark haired and quiet"

"Yes, they were two of the boys"

"Thanks." Max was gone before the woman could form a word. Half an hour, that meant she would arrive just after them if she kept up this pace without getting distracted. She wondered it the two actually knew that she was on there team, she wouldn't put it past Tsunade to just tell them 'oh you have a third member who will join you there'. In fact that would be just like Tsunade.

-

Speaking of the Hokage, Tsunade was sat at her desk looking through her paper work. She had managed to time Max's mission to start before Itachi returned from his short one. He had been sent off straight after the council meeting. She had an important mission that Max could not find out about. She had told Max a small lie so she wouldn't be tempted to wait for him.

-

Max couldn't remember the last time she had been to the Land of Tea, she wondered if the two groups were still fighting. The last time she had been there she had walked into a fight on no less than four separate occasions. Then there were the ones she had caused by one of the groups annoying her.

She arrived at her client's house in time to see Naruto and Sasuke open the door to the house. She sped up and slung an arm around their necks and walked in with them. The had to react in such a way that they didn't seem surprised in front of the client.

"Fancy seeing you guys here," she smirked, she nodded her greeting at the client. She recognised him but couldn't remember the name, all she knew was he was of the Wasabi clan. She dealt with numerous clients, she couldn't remember all of them by name.

"Ah, you three must be Konoha ninjas, welcome. How much do you know about this mission?" Max realised then she hadn't actually been told what the mission was, just where to go. She needed to stop doing that, it was dangerous. The man started to explain the mission to the trio. They would be protecting the clan's runner for this scorched fire race thing. The winner of the race would gain power for the clan they ran for. Max thought it was stupid, and from the expressions of the two boys they agreed.

The three of them turned as the door was slid open, and all three of them recognised the newcomer.

"You!" Naruto growled. Max grabbed the back of Naruto's collar to stop him from jumping on the newcomer before taking a proper look at him.

"Idate?" she asked, she was almost certain it was him, the goofy kid on the genin team she had hired that one time to clean her apartment before Laura got back from a long day at work. The only reason she remembered him was he almost was killed by one of her traps that she had forgotten to disable.

"Max Hakie? Why's a Sannin been assigned this mission?"

"Well it's a funny story, but it's one you don't need to know." If he pressed the issue she would ask why he was here and not with his team. She was respecting his privacy, he should return the favour. Besides, chances were she'd find out when she got back.

"You two know each other?" Naruto asked looking between the two.

"That's also a funny story but I'm not giving you blackmail," Max told him quietly, Laura was firm with the whole: 'if they made the mess, they clear it up' issue. Genin had better things to do than clear up their mess. Actually, Max wondered if that damn cat was still around, she had spent her time chasing it both times as a genin, so it was possible it was still around.

"The race starts tomorrow at noon, you may wander around for the remainder of the day, Idate can show you around." The team bowed and left the room followed by Idate who looked like her would rather be anywhere else.

"Is there anywhere you would like to go?" Idate ground out. The two other boys shook their heads.

"Is there enough time to walk the path you wish to take for this race?" Max asked, she would prefer to see the terrain and assess any natural threats or places they could easily be ambushed. Idate looked a bit shocked at her wording. How did she know he may not take the same path as his opponent?

"No, I could show it to you on a map though, both routes. It all depends on the winds," Idate offered.

"Better than nothing I suppose" Max grumbled, she hated not being prepared fro something. She subtly created some shadow clones, once she found out the route she would send them of to check it out. It wouldn't be as good as actually going herself though, clones didn't have intuition or gut feelings.

Once they were done, she set a clone to tail Idate as he went about his own business. She set Sasuke and Naruto to look around the district, see if they could find out if there were any plans to prevent Idate from finishing the race. She herself sat down and began to medicate to gain finer control on the clones she had set out for exploring the routes. She wanted to check both out just in case.

--

Feel free to review, give feedback, advice, comments, criticism, response, opinions etc.

I apologise if for some reason you couldn't review.


	6. The race is on

'Sup

Not much to say really, have a chapter

--

The day of the race was a normal day, a hidden buzz floated around the citizens. Excitement, anticipation. Max could feel it in the air. She sat on the roof of the hotel writing on a scroll, for safety she was writing in German, team 7.5 had a decent grasp of English and she didn't want them to be reading.

"Writing a note saying you're leaving again?" Max heard Naruto ask bitterly. She looked up to see him attempting to read it upside down.

"I'm not leaving, I don't leave in the middle of a mission"

"But afterwards is fair game right? Why have you written it in a language I don't know? Is it so we have to get Laura to translate so you can have a head start on us?" Naruto accused. Max felt slightly guilty about filing the idea away for if she ever needed it.

"What's got you so paranoid?" she asked, she figured she would have this conversation at some point. Now was probably the best time. She wasn't sure why he had waited though.

"You're different,"

"People change Naruto, sometimes there are events that change who you are, it can be subtle, or people barely recognise you from who you used to be," Max explained.

"What happened to you to make you change?"

"Something I'd rather not share"

"You never kept secrets either," Naruto spat sourly. Max didn't bother to correct him, she'd kept secrets, just a lot better so he didn't even know she had them.

"Ok, how about this: imagine Sasuke made a Chidori and shoved it through your chest. How would you feel?" Naruto looked thoughtful and was about to respond but Max cut him off. "Now imagine, that before then he had promised never to use it on you." Naruto once again started to speak. "And finally imagine he wasn't in control of his own actions at the time." Max felt slightly guilty about using that as an example. While it had never happened here, only in the series she had watched, it still felt wrong to use it as an example. This time Naruto stayed thoughtful for longer. He then looked at Max.

"I don't… I don't know how I would feel," he admitted. Max sighed, she didn't want to leave the situation half explained.

"Bonus for you, add this to the situation you're imagining. Imagine that you'd had a choice about whether to get into the situation which led to all of this, knowing full well what would happen"

"Is this how you feel?"

"Sometimes. I think we should go to the dock, the race should be starting soon, Sasuke's probably bored of tailing Idate, if you want we can talk more later, but for now you need to keep you mind on the mission." Both ninjas moved, heading towards where the race would begin. Seconds later another person appeared in their place, watching them leave but not being noticed. It took almost unnatural stealth skills to stay hidden from both Max and Naruto but this person had watched for so long, he knew how to stay under the radar.

The trio of ninjas stood a few steps behind Idate. The gates in front were shut, when they opened the race would be on. The opposing clan's runner sneered at them before getting ready to run. Max frowned, wouldn't he have a guard because of her teams obvious presence in the race.

The gates opened and the two runners headed out. The team followed Idate as he ran north towards the forest instead of to the boat Max could now feel people following them, expanding her senses showed there had been ninjas waiting in the other clans boat. It wasn't hard for Max to keep up with Idate, Sasuke and Naruto seemed to be racing each other more than just trying to keep up. Idate seemed to loose focus, he still ran but wasn't paying attention Max felt something fuzzy on her skin and out of instinct activated FA. Until Max slapped him around the back of the head.

"Pay attention idiot, you should be able to recognise a genjutsu," she hissed. She pushed some chakra into him to dispel it, knowing that the other two should know to dispel it on their own. She kept an eye out just in case, on the off chance they didn't notice. Max was painfully aware of the fact she didn't know just what they could do anymore.

She noticed Naruto speed up to join her and motion for her to slow down to Sasuke. She did so, wondering what Sasuke wanted.

"No civilian could go at this speed," he muttered so not to let it carry. He didn't want anyone watching to hear.

"I know, he isn't"

"Why is he here then?"

"I have no clue." They couldn't talk much more as they reached a small jetty with a boat waiting for them. Max decided to take this time to catch up on what had happened, the boat didn't need that much attention.

"You're team participated in the last chunin exams, Hoshi even passed. The fights were pretty good," Sasuke admitted grudgingly, like most Uchiha's he had an unconscious desire to show off, because of the invasion he hadn't been able to. He was a bit jealous, and the jounin exams were a mostly private thing.

"I never had a team, I just baby sat them. It can't be as great as my fight though"

"You didn't get to fight much, the invasion happened before your second match," Naruto said, the guy had forfeited, no one really knew why.

"Second chunin exam remember," Max reminded them.

"What did you have for the first part of your first exam then? Anything compared to Ibiki's dramatic mind screw"

"Ibiki? Ibiki Morino?" Idate asked interrupting. Something clicked with the trio.

"Is he your brother?" Naruto inquired. Max was mentally berating herself, Louise had told her about her work mates and remembered Ibiki's brother getting mentioned as a kind of goof ball. Everyone was interrupted from what ever thoughts by a crossbow bolt hitting the mast where Max had been standing seconds ago. More bolts flew, some with ropes attached. Another vessel drew up beside them the ropes clearly originating from it.

"Wooden ships burn, right?" Max asked rhetorically, a glint in her eye, it seemed to be infectious.

"Naruto guard Idate," Sasuke ordered and started the seals for one of his more powerful fire jutsus.

"Give me five seconds and the boat will be a lot more flammable," Max requested, leaping onto the other boat as she unsealed something. Max removed a crate of jars and carefully placed them. Sasuke had been holding the last few seals for her. She jumped back and motioned for him to finish.

"What is that?"

"Just aim for it." Sasuke finished the last seal and let loose aiming for the jars which exploded tearing a hole through the wooden boards. "Ah, nitroglycerin, gotta love the stuff," Max grinned. "We need to sped this up, either we can all water walk or we can swim, this boat is going too slowly"

"What would you recommend?"

"Walking, then the cold water won't affect your performance, I would prefer no one gets a cold, I remember the last time I had one." Last time was when everything had gone down hill.

"I, uh, can't water walk, I never quite got it," Idate admitted sheepishly. Max sighed, one of them would have to carry him, it was not going to her, last time she had carried some guy for a mission they had groped her. In fact she had requested no missions with adolescent boys. Max then realised what could quite possible be one of the reasons Tsunade hadn't told her what the mission was.

In the end Naruto took him, he had the largest chakra supply so the extra weight would barely dent it. Max half wished Haku was there to make it into ice so she could skate.

Running fast, skimming the top of the water, shortened the crossing by about an hour. As they approached the shore Max signalled for the other two to get further down the coast line and keep going. Someone was ahead, possible waiting for them, she needed to see if they were friend or foe.

She reached the rocks that made up the waters edge and saw another person she hadn't seen in a while. Only he was wearing a different head band, he had defected.

"Aoi"

"Max"

"I take it you're here to stop my runner"

"You always did seem to bond with your client, but yes, killing you and your team will just be a bonus. You have quite the bounty on you head"

"I'm also a Sannin, you think you can take me and my team? I'm no push over and the guys, well, even I wouldn't want to annoy them." Max dodged the small glint that headed towards her. "Sebon? Against me? For shame. I must make a guess and say that they are poisoned, anything less and I would be insulted." She dodged a few more needles directed at her. "You never were a good ninja"

"Not all of us are like you"

"True, I am unique"

"I have a unique weapon to make up for it," Aoi said, drawing a sword hilt, light emerged from it, forming a blade made of lightning.

"You stole that," Max accused, she knew that sword. Aoi chuckled.

"Idate did, I just took it off him." Max was going to have words with Idate. For now she was going to vent. She had initially liked Aoi when he was a chunin. She lit her hands and darted forward. Aoi dodged swinging the sword which Max ducked under.

As the fight progressed they managed to move it inland, Max realised Aoi was trying to direct the fight to where she could feel the other three were, she wondered why they weren't moving. A wave of horror washed over her as her mind jumped to conclusions, none of them good. They were supposed to still be going on, there was a race to finish, they were strong, nothing should have stopped them.

She had to stop Aoi from getting to them, she wasn't sure how good their reflexes were and she was sure none of them were resistant to poisons. They came to a gorge a rope bridge connecting the two sides. Max wanted to make this quick and simple. So she kicked Aoi, over the cliff face and into the other side with enough force to leave a crater. It had broken her attack pattern, she had previously been just throwing punches so the kick had been completely out of the blue. She then dashed over the bridge heading towards her team and client.

She had made a very basic mistake, she had assumed Aoi would be out for the count. As she ran to the cave the guys were in Aoi fell out of the crater, he knew there was no point trying again, he needed to report this though. He stood as best he could and hobbled as best he could towards where his client would be.

Max reached the cave she was even more alarmed, they were no traps or even a genjutsu to hide the entrance. Smoke was visible seeping out through the mouth of the cave. Maybe she should give them a scare, she henged into Aoi and sauntered in calmly.

She immediately noticed Idate's bandaged foot. While normally it was an unusual target, in this situation it was understandable because of the race. She wondered how he got it, no one else had been around.

One more step towards them got their attention.

"Max?"

"Your little Sannin friend couldn't be here, such a pity too," Max chuckled using Aoi's voice. The effect was immediate as flashes of metal flew towards her, she managed to dodge most of them, one nicked her shoulder and another was almost impaled into her stomach, she held it just a few millimetres form her skin where she had caught it. "I'm disappointed in the three of you, no traps waiting for me or even an alarm." Max noticed Sasuke giving her a critical look, then the activation of his Sharingan. She knew her game was up.

"Stand down, Max is just fooling with us," Sasuke announced, Max pouted then dropped her Henge.

"My points still stand, what are you doing here, you should be running"

"Aoi left some caltrops further down the shore, more inland, we didn't notice and Idate managed to stand on one," Naruto explained, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Max sighed, they still needed to get moving the cave was not safe.

"Have you checked it for poison?" Max asked, the three chuckled nervously.

"Why are you making rookie mistakes?" She checked Idates foot, she could see his veins darkening, it was poison. Max panicked, she hated dealing with poison, it was too far in to bleed out. She quickly untied the bandage that normally covered her ANBU mark and tied it tightly around his leg to stop the poison from getting further. Time was of the essence here and unsealing something would have wasted precious seconds.

"We were kinda worried about you, I mean you got caught by that flimsy genjutsu when you got back-"

"This is why before any mission the teams should spar, so they can know just what they're working with" Max grumbled, she tried to remember if she had any antidotes on her, she had a sinking feeling that she had left that particular scroll behind. The guys could hear her grinding her teeth in annoyance until suddenly she stopped and reached into the back of her mouth.

"What-" Naruto was interrupted by Max holding up a hand, she did not want to pull out the wrong tooth. A sharp tug resulted in Max holding up a tooth in triumph. "How is that going to help?" Naruto asked sceptically, saying what the others were thinking. Max responded by pulsing chakra into it causing it to break open and something inside expand.

"Surely you two recognise a bezoar when you see it," she grinned.

"You keep a bezoar in a false tooth," Sasuke deadpanned. She shrugged as she began to prepare it

"I don't always have all of my stuff, like now, I left some things behind to prove I would return," she said looking pointedly at Naruto. She finished treating the poison and rebandaged the foot. "Unfortunately moving that leg and too much exercise in general will only help the poison spread further, while the bezoar is fast acting, the poison may kill you before the bezoar can cure you, someone's going to have to carry you again"

"I'll take him," Sasuke offered, Naruto had done plenty, it was his turn. Max nodded and they exited the cave.

Idate was not out of the race yet.

--

The next chapters going to be interesting, a new twist that I bet no one will see coming.

Then naturally more twists will follow.

Review please


	7. He who was supposed to be dead

Thanks **lilith** for the review, I'll try to take your advice, hopefully it isn't too bad though.

Chapter 10 of part 3 has had a pretty big addition that introduce something vital to the plot later on, but that may just be my opinion as the author.

* * *

As they group ran Idate told them his story, Max could see the parallels to Naruto's original story. She wondered how many more had been tricked in this way.

She felt a flash of chakra, the same as she had felt on her way to Tea. She was curious so she told the other two to continue.

"I'm going with you," Sasuke demanded, he had felt it and its familiarity too. He handed Idate over to Naruto. Naruto wasn't complaining, if Sasuke went with her, he could make sure she came back.

Max sighed, if this took too long she might lose who ever it was. She agreed and they separated.

Taking a slightly different route to meet up with where the pulse had been, maybe it would give them some clues. The chakra defiantly was familiar. They landed in a clearing on high alert, it seemed to open for Max's liking. Why would someone pulse their chakra here?

"Unless it's a trap…" Max concluded under her breath. Sasuke looked at her alarmed.

"Ah, Max sharp as usual. I see you've grown up beautifully, and no doubt more dangerous," a voice greeted her, she spun to face it and gasped, instinctively using FA to confirm it, as she could not believe what she was seeing. She would recognise that face anywhere though, the scar she had accidentally given him during the academy days was very distinct and very unique.

"What do you want Shisui?" Max hissed, never mind the fact he was supposed to be dead, killed in the massacre, or suicide beforehand, if Max remembered that much of the original story line. Sasuke mirrored her shock.

"I think Sasuke deserved to know some things, like who really murdered the clan, I think you've figured it out yourself by now."

"You did it, didn't you?" Max growled, she was tensing up ready for a fight and could feel Sasuke doing the same.

"Isn't it obvious, I faked my own death then pretended to be Itachi, framing him for the clan's murder." A hand stopped Sasuke from attacking his cousin. Max was internally sighing, how stupid could people get. Her grip slipped slightly and Sasuke darted forward only to get thrown into a tree by Shisui. Max shifted into an offensive position between the Uchiha's.

She heard Sasuke cough up something and glancing around she saw him cough up some blood. She turned back to meet Shisui's eyes, ready to close her own at a moments notice.

"You're about number six," Max said, her voice still low and dangerous. Sasuke looked at her, either Max was gearing up for kicking some arse or she was actually going crazy. He really hoped she would let him take on the traitor.

"For what?"

"List of enemies who are worth worrying about. The list's out of five, one being the best, suffice to say you suck as my enemy"

"I'm your enemy? I'm hurt Max, after all we've been through?"

"Oh great, now I have to deal with a delusional guy. Sasuke could you catch up with Naruto and tell him I may be a while."

"He _killed_ my _family_ though!" Sasuke protested indignantly. Max sighed, this was way too troublesome. Sasuke really needed to remember just whom he was talking to.

"Fine, I won't kill him, I'll let you do that, just move it," Max hissed, if Sasuke continued to be emo about this she may have to kick his arse too.

"No, you go catch up. I have a score to settle." Max's eye was now twitching, Sasuke hadn't noticed it, if he had he would have gone.

"Sasuke, I outrank you-" Max started, almost in a growl. Laura would have her hide if Sasuke got hurt doing something stupid like fight an opponent he knows nothing about. Which is exactly what would happen, even if Shisui did nothing but stand and talk then she would beat some sense into Sasuke. He was not going avenger on her watch.

"Let him stay, he deserves to hear what we have to say."

"And what _do_ we have to say?" Max seethed. She subtly made a clone to inform Naruto of the current situation, she would have preferred Sasuke to go but the clone would do.

"I wanted to catch up with my cousin and my would-be team mate. I did find out you switched on me." Shisui actually looked hurt about it.

"I needed people dedicated to being a ninja, people who could keep up with me, you didn't make the grade." It was almost the truth, he just irritated her.

"I killed almost all of my clan, and blamed it on someone else," Shisui boasted.

"I eradicated a whole clan before you managed that, it took them weeks to figure out it was me. Unlike you I'm capable of killing everyone," Max retorted, Sasuke looked shocked, he didn't know that. "Heard of the Kumar clan slaughter?" Max asked, an evil grin on her face as she remembered it.

"We learnt about it in the academy, that was you?"

"Yes. I killed them all on my lonesome, first solo mission," Max sighed, reminiscing with a scary grin on her face. She didn't mention it was her last one or the circumstances surrounding that mission.

"Why?"

"They needed to die, they took someone precious from me and needed to pay for it. More of a reason then _some people,_" Max explained looking pointedly at the older Uchiha in front of her.

"I had my reasons," Shisui defended. Max was quickly getting tired of this, both she and Sasuke had a mission to complete.

"Which you probably won't tell us so there's no point hanging around talking-"

"But-" Sasuke interrupted, he still needed to avenge his family.

"There is _no_ point hanging around," Max repeated more firmly, there was no discussion in this.

"But I was hoping we could catch up," Shisui pouted. "It's been ages since we've seen each other, we could get a drink or something."

"Sasuke, go catch up with Naruto, I have a bad feeling about this," Max said, her voice strangely calm as if she had just realised something. Sasuke realised Max was insinuating that Shisui was keeping them from catching up with Naruto.

Avenging his clan could wait, Naruto was his best friend. Without a second thought he jumped from the clearing to follow the path Naruto had taken when they split. He was confident Max could handle anything Shisui threw at her. Max was still there to find out exactly what Shisui wanted.

"Still devious," Shisui smirked. "You don't actually have a bad feeling, you lied to get him to leave. Now why would you want us to be alone?" Shisui asked rhetorically, a lewd grin on his face. Max narrowed her eyes to glare at him.

"Don't flatter yourself, I have better things to do right now," Max turned to leave and took a step, she knew he had drawn her there for a reason, that's why she hadn't just apperated out of there.

"Wait. I wanted to ask you something," Shisui called.

"You have until I reach the tree line," Max reasoned, she kept walking, not turning back to face him. If she had she would have seen the Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes.

He moved towards her, grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him, hoping for eye contact. He was out of luck, Max had closed her eyes and activated FA while she had been walking, she didn't want him to attack her with her back turned.

"And now this gets interesting," Max smirked. She used his hand to throw him into a tree. "But don't worry I won't kill you, I did tell Sasuke he could." A few fire balls were sent in his direction as they began a deadly dance.

* * *

Back in Konoha, in the Hokage's secret office for 'under the radar' missions Itachi was learning of his new assignment. With each word he felt impending doom and once Tsunade had finished the briefing he stood there in silence seeing if there was anyway to get out of this.

"We really need someone to do this, you're the only one with the right experience and skills. I know it's going to be dangerous, but there is no one else who can do this," Tsunade pleaded. She knew that Itachi didn't want this mission but he was the only choice. She didn't want to give him this mission, not after all of her hard work but she had to think about the village.

"When would it start?" Itachi finally asked, he was careful with his wording, he had not actually accepted.

"One week after your birthday according to sources, so three weeks. Max should be back by then, the timing is very important for this." Itachi nodded in understanding, he was still weighing the mission over in his mind, this would mean he wouldn't be able to return for an indefinite amount of time. Someone needed to keep an eye on the others, they would need all the protection they could get in the coming time. With any luck the result of the mission would heighten Max's need to protect her friends and self.

* * *

Max ran to catch up with the others, Shisui had managed to escape with only minor injuries. Not before he briefly gained the upper hand. Her lips still tasted of him, no matter what she had tried to get rid of it. She would need a session of drinking to wipe that memory. No one was going to find out about that. Ever.

She reached the stairs to the first stop on the runners list, a quick scan showed they had been there and gone so Max bypassed it and continued along the planned path. In the distance she could hear the crowd cheering someone on, it sounded like "Idate" but it was too far to be sure. She put on a burst of speed reaching the crowd and gaining a vantage point to watch as Idate overtook the other racer in the final stretch. She smiled proudly at the boys, Naruto and Sasuke nearby also watching just in case.

At least they had succeeded in their mission. She snapped out of her thought when she heard "they cheated" from someone. She turned to glare at the speaker, someone from the other clan. Before she could go murder him the other clan had been disbanded.

By the end of the day, the four of them were sat on the dock waiting for a ship. Max had examined Sasuke and found three cracked ribs, recognising it only because of her own experiences with them. She didn't want him to make it worse on the journey back so they would take the boat as far towards Konoha as they could. A jounin would be on the ship ready to escort them.

Max smirked as she saw a boat sail in with a familiar person standing watching them, the smirk turned to a frown as she remembered who was sitting with them. They just had to send Ibiki. Wasn't he busy torturing people?

The interaction between brothers was sweet but they were soon on their way home. She observed Sasuke, she wasn't sure how he was reacting to finding his clans killer. Itachi needed to be told too. Shisui had been his best friend for a while. Max supposed she had kind of interrupted that, she wondered exactly what had happened in the real series, she had only watched a few episodes after the chunin exam arc.

"What do you plan on doing when we get back?" Naruto asked sitting on the mast next to her. Both of them were moulding chakra to keep sitting parallel to the floor just to keep their control in check.

Max sighed, she hadn't actually thought about it, even if she had something would come up, it always did. "Laze around for a bit, maybe take a few missions, maybe travel a bit," she saw his face darken a bit and tried to shift the conversation. "What about you?"

"Train some more, I have a goal to get to"

"Have you ever considered making up your own technique? Like my fire or something. A signature move or an ace up your sleeve." Unless he had learnt something new or actually added wind to his rasengan then the answer would probably be no. Naruto looked sheepishly at her.

"I was wondering if you could teach me how to properly use this," he said taking a handgun from a hidden holster and holding it out. Max's eyes widened and she pushed the muzzle so it was not pointing at her.

"Don't point it at me! Please tell me you have the safety on." The blank look she received was not comforting in anyway shape or form. "Lesson one, gun safety." She took the gun which she managed to identify as and M9, from his hand and flicked the safety on. "Unless you plan on firing it, keep the safety switch on," she explained showing him the safety button. The rest of the boat trip was spent making sure he knew the proper way of handling the gun. She knew he was itching to use it but she made him be patient.

* * *

Please leave a comment.


	8. A fork stuck in the road

Happy very belated New Year

Sorry for the delay (over a months I know), exam revision and stuff, I can finally do Natural logs without having to look it up. I still have two more exams to go but I had most of this written up.

For anyone who cares I have a picture of my idea of Max linked on my profile, near the bottom. If anyone else wants to draw any of my OC's then feel free and send me a link.

Anyway here's the chapter:

--

Max was suspicious. The alcohol had nothing to do with it, she hadn't touched the stuff for a week. She was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling like she had all day. She wanted to read a book, but the only series in the house was Jiraiya's abomin-creations. It was too late for any of the shops to be open.

She hadn't been annoyed in the past twelve hours, which for her was unusual, normally someone checked in on her every so often, she supposed to make sure she hadn't left without saying goodbye. But despite that they were all away working or on missions. First peace in days though, she had been helping Naruto with gun katas for most of the time after the scorched race. She would never forgive herself if he did something stupid with the gun.

Tsunade refused to give her a mission, not actively, but every time she went to ask for one Tsunade was seemingly too drunk to actually do anything except drink more. How the others got missions was something she would have to eventually find out. When she bothered to get up anyway, the empty house was kind of nice.

No wait, she could smell food, someone was here. She sniffed testily, it was not too spicy, so not Laura then. It wasn't smothered in barbeque sauce imported from Earth so not Louise either. She felt someone move down the hallway towards her room, somehow managing to not trigger any of the traps. It had to be someone of high level, or someone who knew were her traps were, she would redesign it again soon.

The door opened and the scent increased tenfold. In the doorway holding two takeaway boxes was Itachi. She tilted her head to face him and raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't left the house all day and I know that there's no food in the kitchen." He set the containers on the bedside table and lay next to her on the bed, pulling her into the warmth of his arms. "What are you thinking about today?"

"Whether it was really sensible to let Naruto loose with a gun"

"How come he has one and I don't." Max could hear the pout in his voice.

"He went and got it of his own free will, I just taught him how to not shoot me with it. Would you prefer he accidentally shot someone?"

"I suppose I don't want to see you with more bullet wounds." His fingers grazed over her stomach and his breath hitched.

"I thought you had only been shot _once_"

"Someone else felt the need to shoot me. He's dead though, nothing to worry about." Max squirmed a bit as he poked the healing skin before taking hold of his hands to stop it.

Itachi shifted around so he was breathing next to her ear. "Would I find any other bullet holes in you if I looked?" he whispered. Max was silent as she tried to figure out how to answer that without giving him an outright invitation to check, she had heard the sultry undertones in his voice. She decided to have some fun.

"That depends entirely on whether I would be allowed to check your injuries," she replied, her fingers moving to trace where she knew scars marred his skin. She heard him chuckle and felt him shift his weight, before she could figure out what he was doing he had already moved, now straddling her legs, leaning forward until their faces were inches apart, his hands either side of her head.

The bedroom door was flung open and the occupants of the bed could see the blond hair that belonged to Naruto as he called down the hall. "I'm telling you they aren't he-"

"Ahem," a voice interrupted. Max and Itachi could see Sasuke standing in front of Naruto looking of the blonds shoulder at them. Naruto turned around looking sheepishly at the pair who hadn't moved.

"Oh, they are here. Well, this is a bit awkward"

"It would be less awkward if you bothered to knock before entering a room," Itachi growled. "And if you leave now then you may escape uninjured"

"Uh, wait, we came here for a reason." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I can't remember why"

"Then shut the door as you leave." They saw Naruto get nudged by Sasuke and noticed Sasuke was holding a few colourful boxes.

"Oh! Yeah, Itachi, we have your birthday presents, they're also from Laura, Louise and Anko but they're all working still."

"Just let me dump this stuff and then leave them to what ever they were planning on doing. I don't want honey in my shampoo again," Sasuke muttered. Max couldn't help but grin, she wouldn't ever repeat it, she did pride herself in never repeating pranks. Next on her list was jam in all his pockets. If it ever got that far. Hopefully Sasuke had learnt his lesson.

She was distracted from her thoughts as lips explored her neck. 'Today is going to be a good day', Max thought as she pulled Itachi in for a kiss, her thought mirrored by the man above her.

-

Meanwhile a recent Hogwarts graduate was getting her very first tour of the Stargate complex in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. She wouldn't be staying long, she would be off to Atlantis soon, by way of the halfway point as the ninja planet was often referred to as.

As it happened, another person who had been to Hogwarts was also there. Laura was acting as a consultant for something when Hermione was shown into the infirmary.

"Miss Granger, this is the infirmary, thankfully it's not so busy at the moment, whether that's because the rest of SG1 are getting better at dodging Dr Lamb or they're still on a mission is debatable," the person Laura recognised as Dr Jackson joked. The nurse she had been talking to made a quiet excuse before leaving.

"Hermione Granger?" Laura asked turning to face the two.

"Laura?"

"You two know each other?" Jackson asked looking between them.

"School"

"Well actually it was a mission," Laura said sheepishly.

"I assume it was because of Harry- wait, you were still there even once he transferred," Hermione looked puzzled. Laura decided to put her out of her misery.

"The mission varied from year to year"

"I can see you have catching up to do, if you could escort her to the briefing room once you're done," Dr Jackson requested. The two girls nodded before starting to chat.

"So Max was actually the leader of the mission? She never acted like it, she turned up drunk on multiple occasions"

"She was the highest ranking person there, and a Slytherin, she was cunning enough to make everyone second guess her house placement"

"But what about the masked people there, weren't they higher ranking?"

"They were Max, most of the time, sometimes her partner was there as one of them"

"Her partner wouldn't happen to be the hot guy who turned up during our third year," Hermione's eyes lit up. Laura shook her head, neither Max nor Itachi had bothered to find his fan club at Hogwarts, they both knew it had existed, but not that pretty much every girl and a few guys were part of it.

"He's taken." Hermione pouted. The discussion moved on to why they both were there. Hermione was surprised to find out they were from a different planet but it did explain things. Being a muggleborn witch did allow her to accept the unusual, which was one of the reasons she was chosen for the expedition.

They eventually headed to the briefing room. Many of the guards were watching Laura cautiously.

"Why are they looking at us suspiciously?" Hermione asked quietly.

"When Max is here she can, and has, raised hell, so they're a bit weary of anyone who may have been influenced by her, so anyone from Konoha. You'd have though Max was a full St Trinian"

"My parents almost sent me there. My mum went when she was younger and said it was great for real world preparation"

"Well that's one way to put it. It's like Hogwarts but for muggle girls only a lot more violence, scams and trouble making, we fit right in."

Laura showed Hermione to the briefing room before heading to the gate room herself, she was due to be heading home about now. She had attended the medical forensic conference, as was the reason she was on Earth to begin with. She wondered if Itachi liked his birthday present.

-

One week later saw everything fall to pieces.

It started as a day like any other, very humid as summer drew in. Max was just returning from a mission having opted to travel during the night while it was cool. She felt two bursts of chakra flash past her as she passed the gates, she recognised both, Itachi and Naruto. At the speed they were going, their mission seemed really important and she doubted Naruto had noticed her, he would have gotten distracted. She leapt up to the rooftops to reduce her contact with people, the heat was really getting to her. She sighed in bliss when she got to the air conditioned Hokage's office.

She was slightly worried about the worried look on Tsunade's face.

"What are you doing here?" Tsunade demanded.

"Reporting in, mission went fine, no unusual hitches"

"Itachi said he got a panicked note from you saying you needed back up, he took Naruto with him to go help you, they figured if you were in trouble they would need all the power they could get"

"They ran passed me, Itachi should have noticed me. Besides I didn't send any note, Itachi would know if it was fake"

"Then what's going on?"

"I don't know, I'm going to follow them and find out though"

"Report to me afterwards then," Tsunade said only to notice Max had already left.

Max had left the second she had finished speaking and had already reached the gates by the time Tsunade had noticed. It wasn't hard to retrace her steps, assuming the two hadn't deviated she would hopefully catch up with them. Itachi had to stick to Naruto's speed, Max was faster that him.

They had about a ten minute head start and it would probably take another quarter hour to catch up. Max spent this time wondering what was going on. Surely if they thought she was truly in trouble, they would have sent more people, she had passed Sasuke and Sai on her way to see Tsunade.

There was always the possibility this was a trap and that Itachi and Naruto were fakes, luring her away into an ambush. She tried not to think about that too much, if she even got the faintest hint it was a trap she would go in all guns blazing, literally. Her Desert Eagle was in easy reach and fully loaded.

She finally drew level with them catching their attention casing them all to stop. A quick flash of FA confirmed there were the real people.

"Max, you're ok!" Naruto exclaimed hugging her.

"I'm fine, I never was in trouble, which brings me to my first question," Max said turning to face Itachi properly, " How did you not see what ever note I supposedly sent as a fake?"

"Because there was no note, I lied." Max and Naruto looked at him in confusion, neither liked the look he was giving them.

"And why did you lie?" Max asked, her tone screamed dangerous. If she didn't get a good reason then people were going to get hurt.

"I had a job to do, I didn't expect you to get here so quickly though, I'll have to keep you occupied until my back up arrives"

The implication from his words did not sound good. The only sound conclusion Max could come up with was one she didn't want to consider.

"Figured it out then Max? The thing about long term missions is there is always a chance the person will begin to agree with the people they're spying on"

"Max what's going on?" Naruto asked, he was completely mission the point.

"I believe Itachi's saying he's defected to the Akastuki." Itachi's smirk widened. "It's probably why he only took you with him to 'rescue' me, now he has two demon carriers. If he can keep us that is. Don't look at his eyes and work using you other senses if possible. Run if you can," Max muttered to Naruto. She reached for her gun, she really didn't want to shoot him but Naruto came first, she had made her promises long ago.

She shoved all of her feelings behind a mental barrier, the last thing she wanted was for it to affect her performance. She would deal with them later.

"What did happen when Konoha was invaded by the Go'auld?" Itachi asked almost solemnly, Max could hear the taunt in his words.

"It doesn't matter, what ever happened then is not going to happen now." Max swiftly drew her gun and fired, she had purposely not aimed to kill. The bullet skimmed his arm slicing open the skin in a ruler straight line. She was aiming to disable and cause pain. That had been a free shot but now Itachi knew she was playing dirty and was going to react in kind.

Max had moved between Naruto and Itachi blocking the line of sight hoping Naruto would get the hint and run but he hadn't. Instead he had powered up his Rasengan. Max moved out of his way as he charged towards Itachi. His wrist was grabbed inches from Itachi's stomach and Max used this to her advantage and launched a kick over Naruto's head. It connected solidly with Itachi's chest sending him stumbling back having released Naruto's wrist in the surprise.

She would have shot him again instead of the kick but she couldn't take the chance of him using Naruto as a shield. While Itachi had stumbled back from the kick Naruto had added a sweeping kick to send him to the floor.

"You don't seem to be doing well today Itachi," Max stated mockily.

"I have all day to do this, one of your friends may not." The pause after that allowed Itachi to regain his balance and lash out, sending Naruto flying into a tree and an arm crushing his windpipe.

"And now Max you get to chose. Save Naruto here, or save your red haired Kazekage friend who should have reached the hide out about now"

--

Review please


	9. A Kiss with a Fist

I can be so evil.

Oh and rejoice, my January exams are finished meaning less revision time and more writing time.

--

A situation can change dramatically in a few seconds. When someone you trusted with your life betrays you, you can be capable of feats that may seem impossible. When you can already do the impossible, you start making mistakes.

When Itachi gave Max the choice of saving Naruto, who was being pinned to a tree and having his windpipe slowly crushed, or saving Gaara, who she wasn't even sure was actually in danger due to being told by someone she no longer trusted. Max chose the obvious of who was currently in the least amount of time left.

The process of removing a demon took a few days in which she could interrupt it, but it takes about two minutes to kill someone by starving them of oxygen.

"Which are you going to pick Max?" Itachi asked tauntingly, applying more pressure on Naruto's neck. Seconds later Max had her gun pointing to the side of Itachi's head.

"Guess," she hissed. She was hoping Naruto was conscious enough to do something to help her. When teaching Naruto about guns she had made him promise to only use it if he really needed to, and if she was using hers then he should use his.

"Would you really kill me?" Itachi asked coyly. Max could have sworn she saw a flash of panic on his face but before she could make sure it was gone.

"Do you really want to find out?" Max found her arm holding the gun knocked away as Itachi rounded on her, leaving Naruto crumpled on the floor trying to breathe normally. Max automatically aimed her gun back at Itachi.

"So shoot me," Itachi challenged taking a step towards her. Max started to lower her gun, Itachi smirked until he heard Max fire and felt something impact against his body. Max had lowered the gun to aim at a less vital area. She had managed to get him to lower his guard by pretending to give up. Another trick he wouldn't fall for again.

Itachi could feel the skin of his lower chest start to bruise, a few ribs were probably broken too, Max was a bit predictable with her 'ultimate weapon' and he had taken measures against it from observation of its damage. While it hadn't blocked all of the damage, the Kevlar/dragon hide mix layered with a shield spell had stopped most of it.

Max had lit her hands while Itachi was inspecting the damage, dashing forwards Itachi was forced to react quickly to avoid burns. Neither were fighting to hurt the other, they were both trying to delay each other. Max wanted Naruto to get away safely. Itachi was trying to delay her so back up could help subdue her.

Out of the corner of her eye Max could see Naruto get to his feet, she tried to lead the fight away from the blond. Hopefully Naruto would go and find Gaara, make sure the red head was ok. As she countered Itachi's punches she could see Naruto draw his M9 and aim at Itachi, he tried to gain eye contact with Max to see if he should shoot.

Max nodded slightly, despite the fact Itachi was armoured it would still distract him. What she wasn't counting on was Itachi noticing. As Naruto pulled the trigger, Itachi twisted out of instinct, dragging Max in front of him to take the shot. She fell to the ground clutching her side as blood began to seep out of her latest bullet wound.

"Max!" Naruto yelled, lowering his gun and clicking on the safety. He ran over, ignoring Itachi's presence and knelt by Max. "Max?"

"Naruto, get out of here, go make sure Gaara's ok. I'll be fine, I promise"

"But-"

"I've never broken a promise to you, I refuse to start now. Go!"

"Isn't that sweet, but who says I'm going to let him go," Itachi asked. "It's not like you can do anything about it," he taunted. Max looked at him with eyes that seemed strangely empty, he could see how her mismatched eyes would creep someone out. He watched her prop herself up onto an elbow then use Naruto to get to a standing position.

"I'm not out yet"

"You can barely stand"

"I made a promise years back, I said I would protect Naruto to the best of my ability. As I said, I don't break promises." Max pushed off from Naruto, flames in one hand, kunai in the other, she managed to block Itachi from getting to Naruto. Naruto took this as his cue to leave but didn't.

"Damnit, what is it with you and Sasuke, do neither of you understand that when I tell you to go I mean it!" Max hissed loudly.

"You're injured."

"Gaara could be dying right now, I have a better chance than he does at the moment"

"But-"

"Just Go!" Naruto fled as Max yelled it loud enough to send the birds from their nests. Her only goal now was to stall Itachi.

-

The quickest route from where the trio had been to Suna bypassed Konoha completely but Naruto wanted back up with him so headed home. He also needed to inform Tsunade about the events that had just happened. There needed to be a team sent out to aid Max with at least one medic in the team. Itachi would be classified as a missing nin, again. He felt sorry for Max, he didn't know how she was mentally holding up with the betrayal.

The time it took to get to Konoha seemed to stretch on forever, his mind was supplying what could be happening to either Max or Gaara. None of the scenarios were good.

-

Max wasn't fairing too well in her fight, she had managed to hastily bandage her wound but she had lost a fair amount of blood. Even the blood replenishing pills took a while to work as they only promoted the creation of blood, not full out replacing it. Max was dearly wishing she had found some way to get rid of the priestesses bindings, it was hard to fight when you could only use half the power you were used to.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Itachi sneered.

"I don't quit on someone else's terms. You know that," Max hissed. She was crouched on the floor holding her side, since Naruto had left she hadn't bothered standing up, it made her too unstable and therefore it didn't help.

"I know that you're stubborn and arrogant. Now if you don't mind I have places to be." Itachi turned to leap out of the clearing leaving his back open to attack, Had Max been in better health she would have noticed a trap when she saw it and not leapt at him. It was only when she was slammed into a tree she realised her mistake.

As he vision began to blur she saw Itachi disappear leaving the clearing empty, she tried to get up and follow but her limbs weren't responding. She could barely get them to twitch. The pain in her side spiked as her other senses increased to make up for the vision loss. The only thing she could really smell was her own blood and she could hear footsteps getting further away.

No one was heading in her direction. She was alone as she faded out of consciousness.

-

A small team was racing to her position, the best medic that could be found, barring Tsunade herself, was being carried on one of the faster runners back so she wouldn't slow them down. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi were headed to Suna, Team nine, Gai's team, were being redirected to assist.

-

A day earlier, over the skies of Suna, a battle had taken place, the Kazekage had stood atop a floating cloud of stand, ready to protect his people. A clay bird had been circling the village and subsequently the Kazekage. Neither of these warriors had ever met before, nor did they know that they had a common friend. Whether having this knowledge would have changed the out come would have to be speculative.

The first explosion had echoed around the area sending all the civilians below into a panic as they scrambled for shelter. This would be a fight to remember for anyone brave enough to watch. One that the Kazekage couldn't win while protecting his home.

Currently the red head was in a cave unconscious with his demon being extracted. It had been sped up slightly be another member turning up to help power the extraction.

-

Max could hear something, something other than her minds annotation of life.

"…How she's still alive…Very lucky…"

"Could have died… blood loss alone… spinal injury…possibly paralyzed"

"…awake…"

She cracked open an eye ever so slightly to see people looking down on her. She was still in the clearing from before. She recognised the green medical chakra being used to close the mess they bullet had made of her side. She also recognised the pink hair of Sakura who was controlling the chakra.

"She needs to get back to Konoha, I've closed the wound but she needs more medical attention," Sakura was telling the others, she stood up and dusted off her knees when she was done. Max took that as a sign she could move. Moving while being healed was never a good idea. "At least you spinal injury seems to have healed fine"

"Spinal injury?!" Max asked, Sakura nodded. "I'll murder the bastard," she muttered standing up, leaning on the tree until she had fully regained equilibrium and the ground stopped trying to shake her off.

"You're going back to Konoha"

"Like hell! I have to get to Suna, feel free to come with me and make sure I don't die but don't try to stop me"

"I must protest-"

"Protest away but my friends are in trouble"

"You're in no state to fight"

"If I promise to stay out of any fights may I go and make sure they haven't died?" Max said, she had phrased it as a question but there was no question about it. She was going.

"I-" Sakura started.

"I don't have time for this," Max grumbled and she took to the trees. She was tempted to fly, using her death god form, but she wasn't sure where they were and didn't want to see when they would die, as the shingami eyes would show her in that form.

Apparating was also out of the question, she couldn't concentrate properly with her injuries. What she did do was take the most direct route and use all the speed enhancing tricks she knew, chakra and magic combined.

As she ran her mind started to form a game plan, she was going to milk her apparent condition for all she could, as far as everyone else knew she was too weak to fight. If she used some of her aliases to help she could make it look like she was in no condition to do anything or maybe even dead, Akatsuki would think she was no longer a threat.

A quick clone was sent back to Sakura and her group to explain her plot. If _anyone_ asked then they were to say they hadn't found her, and that from the amount of blood they found it was doubtful she was alive. It would at the very least imply her death without lying.

She knew it would hurt people but she needed to be as anonymous as possible when she took down Akatsuki.

She suppressed her chakra and made two of her strongest clones, they would split to meet up with the two teams. She knew what happened in the anime to a point and so was planning accordingly but ready to change if need be. The two clones changed appearance, one becoming her formerly dead alias Psi and the other to form Mu. No ninja knew of these aliases so she was safe using them.

The Mu clone headed off to where Naruto's group would be while Psi clone headed to Gai's team. Finding a point roughly equidistant from where she could feel both groups, she sat down and began to meditate. She would need fine control over both clones.

As requested by Max's first clone, the one sent to Sakura, the rest of Sakura's group guarded her in case someone stumbled upon her. Sakura herself headed off to Naruto's group, they would need to be told about Max's apparent death, if only to make them fight harder.

--

See what I mean, I'm evil and working on the suspense genre

Reviews are welcomed with open arms, unlike the new maths module I've just started.


	10. Multiple personalities

Warning: I can't remember all of what happed here, so like with everything else in this story **it will be different**.

Just covering myself here as the changes are also to make it easier for me even if I do remember some of what happened.

Max's clones will be referred to as people, Mu will be referred to using male pronouns despite being Max's clone but Psi will be referred to as female.

--

Mu sped through the trees like there was a fan girl on his tail, he would need this to look believable as an accident and the faster you were going the better it tended to look.

He was rewarded as the trees dropped away and he went flying into someone's open hand. Itachi had noticed his approach and caught Mu by the throat. Playing the panicked 'what-just-happened' card Mu just looked like he had just sobered up. At least he could breath, well if he was real.

"This isn't grandma's house," he said dumbly. "No offense dude but my grandma's prettier than you." He noticed Naruto and companions looking at him strangely. "I don't suppose you've seen a girl with blue hair around here, kinda short and annoying. No? I'll be on my way then." Mu tried to pry Itachi's fingers from his throat but got no where using that average civilians strength.

"Are you insane?" Naruto yelled. Sakura hadn't quite turned up yet so he didn't know of her supposed situation.

"No, I'm looking for my grandma's house." Mu found himself flying through the air, connecting solidly with the solid ground. He mused that if he had planed to use that excuse then he should have been a girl with a red hooded cloak.

"He's an S-ranked missing ninja!" Naruto informed him. Said Ninja had walked over and was pressing a foot to Mu's chest slowly crushing what would be his ribcage.

"Ah shit, today is not my day, damn black cats," Mu cursed. He noticed they had stopped fighting completely, they didn't want to hurt him as a civilian. He needed to get them to do something.

Itachi wasn't paying any attention to him so Mu slipped out a kunai fully intending to hamstring the foot crushing his chest. Itachi picked that point to move his foot and the kunai's blade sliced through the material and a good few centimetres of Itachi's calf.

The reaction was instantaneous as Mu was kicked away while the ninjas tried to use it to their advantage. Sakura dived out of the tree trying to sneak up behind Itachi. The missing nin wasn't S-Ranked for nothing though as he evaded the attacks. Sakura managed to drag Mu out of harms way.

"Where's Max?" Naruto asked, he had figured she would be stubborn and try to help. He was hoping she would be safe in the hospital.

"We couldn't find her. There was so much blood in the area I don't think she could have moved herself." Sakura informed them in the same way she told the next of kin when someone died. There was a silence as this sunk in.

"She could be alive, right?" Naruto asked pleadingly.

"If she is then she could be anywhere, in anyone's hands, enemy or allies," Sakura said shaking her head slightly. Naruto turned his gaze to Itachi, a burning fire in his eyes. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder what had become of the team that had worked so well together in the past.

Sasuke couldn't help but fear what would happen when Laura and Louise found out about this. Images of villages burning popped into his mind, fear not seen since Kyuubi in peoples eyes.

Sakura had obviously seen Sasuke's expression but mistaken it for pain over Max's possible demise.

"I'm sure she's ok, she'd want you to keep fighting," Sakura whispered. Mu hid a look of panic, that was dangerously close to confirming Max was alive.

"That's not what I'm worried about"

"Then what?"

"Two words. Laura. Louise." Shivers ran down the spine of every ninja in the clearing, even Itachi.

Mu sat behind the ninjas pretending to be very confused but not stupid enough to ask about it. He spared a thought to let his own imagination wander. Laura and Louise could be very vengeful if scorned.

"Can someone unconfuse me here?" Mu asked, he had intentionally phrased it that way to grab their attention.

"S-class missing nin," Kakashi began pointing at Itachi, "may have killed, whether directly or indirectly, a close friend." Kakashi paused to let that sink in.

"Close friend has two crazy friends who will murder S-class missing nin," Sasuke finished.

"Ah… So do you plan on a least maiming him now?" This seemed to click with the group as they all burst into action, relentlessly attacking the elder Uchiha. Mu only then noticed he wasn't alone sitting on the sidelines, an old woman was also there. He could only assume it was the old woman who eventually saves Gaara in the series. Mu was determined to stop her sacrifice from being needed.

It felt weird to not be taking part in a fight, especially one that was going so interestingly. Mu wasn't the kind to stand on the sidelines and watch but he wasn't about to blow his cover. Luckily no one was paying to much attention to him with Sharingan. On the bright side if they did, they would only see him as a clone, not who he was a clone of.

He took some sadistic joy from watching the team beating Itachi to a pulp. His chest was bursting with happiness at the thought they would do this for their friend. Something didn't feel right with it though. Something was off with Itachi, maybe he had actually been affected by Max's apparent death. That didn't seem so likely, it was something else.

"There's more to you than meets the eye." It took a lot of Mu's training to not react to the old woman's whispered words as they pierced the quiet of the sidelines. Old people were always excessively perceptive.

"I could say the same about you, but it would be in both of our interests to work together and stay quiet about what we may know"

"For the time being I will respect your wishes"

-

Psi was running across dusty plains, she knew Kisame would meet team nine here somewhere. Her way of being different from her normal persona was being more animalistic, she had resorted to running using all four of her limbs for speed. It wasn't as awkward as she had first imagined it would be, her inner wolf had probably helped. The fact a clone's physiology could easily be manipulated helped a lot. It also reduced the air resistance in the more streamlined position.

She cocked her head as she heard movement and altered her direction to intercept. It would be easier for her to join in as none of team 9 had worked with Max much. She only had to be careful around Neji in case he recognised some of her behaviours from Hogwarts.

Water lapped around her hands and feet as she drew near, a sign she was going in the right direction. Kisame had already started his fight. It wasn't too far away she could se two obnoxiously green clad people with two other kids recognisable as Neji and Tenten.

Unfortunately as she drew closer she could see they were all stuck in water prisons, while Psi knew they would get out of it, it wouldn't hurt to help. Using what ever grip she could get on the water using as little chakra as possible, Psi launched herself at Kisame, or who she hoped was the solid one. Each of the water prisons had a clone holding them together.

Almost predictably, as Psi headed for Kisame, the fish man reacted, using his sword to block her leap. Psi knew if she came into contact with that sword her cover was as good as blown. Its chakra eating nature was not unknown to her. She narrowly dived passed by twisting in the air. Bright blue painted nails drew blood as she took the opportunity to shock the guy.

Usually she would have gone for the lightning route to incapacitating him but she was trying to stay anonymous and while it would be effective she would be figured out quicker.

"Another brat," Kisame muttered swinging his huge sword around. Psi was glad for her lupine agility as she danced around the sharkskin blade.

"I'm not a brat" Psi said, she changed her targets to the clones, taking down Kisame on her own as a clone was almost impossible, a series of high speed manoeuvres disabled two clones, freeing Gai and Neji. Using that surprise Psi managed to take out another, while Neji shoved a chakra covered hand through dispelling it. "The name's Psi, remember it." She winced slightly, that had sounded a bit to much like Max.

The five of them were facing down Kisame. The water covered plains being their battle field, lending itself in Kisame's favour due to his affinity. Psi narrowed her eyes at the blue man, something wasn't right. It only then occurred to her. Kisame hadn't recognised her chakra, while she had managed to change it slightly, the sword had a finer sense than any shinobi could ever achieve. He wasn't the true wielder of Samehada, ergo he wasn't Kisame.

So what was going on?

-

Mu wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad when Naruto had delivered the killing blow.

What confused all of them, was when they saw the dead body did not belong to the person they thought they had been fighting. Mu was almost dispelled out of shock from Max.

"Wow. Plot twist… Was not expecting that," he said masking the shock pretty well, he was only a clone though, so it wasn't to hard.

"You should probably go to you grandma's house now," Kakashi advised looking at the boy, luckily he had covered his Sharingan to preserve chakra or Mu's cover would be blown.

"But I want to see how this ends, the only entertainment waiting for me at my grandma's house is my cousin arguing with everyone"

"It's dangerous, you'd get killed within seconds of encountering someone," Sasuke stated, he could not have looked less impressed right now. Mu supposed he felt cheated of the death of a traitor. Sasuke had always felt any sort of betrayal more than the others, especially after the massacre, then finding out what he had been told was a lie then finally finding the killer was still a family member.

That reminded Mu, Shisui was still out there somewhere, he would get around to it. When was Sasuke's birthday again? It wasn't that far away, only a month and a bit after Itachi's. July 23rd if she remembered rightly.

Mu would get round to that after the current issue was sorted. Gaara was still in trouble. She had no idea how much time was left.

An absence of people cause Mu to realise he had just zoned out. It was disturbing when a clone began to zone out and dangerous as the person directing it was losing control. At least the ninjas weren't there to tell him not to follow. He leapt of into the trees to follow the chakra signatures. They hadn't gotten _that_ far. Sakura was probably slowing them down. Medic nins didn't train with speed.

-

Psi was having the same feelings of being cheated, a man lay in Kisame's place, dead. At least she had refined her different style of fighting. It was difficult on water, as such Max's clone was a lot weaker than she would have liked. There was possibility that it would need to be remade, if Max had enough chakra.

Most clones could normally get small boosts from the excess chakra given off in fights. Unfortunately Samehada's' presence had stopped that. But on the up side, the real Kisame couldn't be far away, he would collect it at some point. Psi doubted she could persuade team 9 to take it with them, not with it's defense mechanism. There was also no way Psi could come into contact with it or tell them of what she knew.

It sucked. Undercover missions always generally sucked. Being limited in behaviour and what you're supposed to know.

At least both clones were heading closer, it would be easier to control them Max though as she held her meditative pose. She could also use the different point of view to help them fight. If it came down to that.

She could feel a migraine approaching, she had expected it but was hoping she could stave it away. When ever she held something back like emotions, she got a migraine, the two clones that needed fine control didn't help.

After this was over she planned to hide out for a few days and sleep. Then she would resume being a pain to the world.

--

Review

Please...


	11. Today I died

Ah, half term, a week of no school. This chapter took longer than I thought it would.

--

To some, two groups of people meeting up in front of a rock is just a coincidence. Less so when the rock has a piece of paper saying 'forbidden' on it. And even less so when everyone knows someone else from the other group.

"Gaara's in there, it's just a huge cave with a strange statue," Neji confirmed. While checking he had noticed something weird about his surroundings, but couldn't put his finger on it. He dismissed it as something to check out later.

They watched Sakura try to punch the rock in, only for her to be stopped by an invisible shield just centimetres from the actual rock and bounced backwards over the water that lined the rock wall.

"And that is why you don't run in head first," Kakashi tutted. "The seal's blocking the rock. We need to find the other seals, and then they need to be removed at the exact same time"

"Wow that's complicated," Mu piped up, wading towards them.

"It's too dangerous for you to be here, you should leave and go back to finding your grandma's house"

"How come my cousin's here then?" Mu asked, looking pointedly at Psi who had been trying to keep below the others notice.

"She shouldn't be here either, but she did help us fight out battle, she could actually help us," Neji said, defending Psi's presence. Despite the fact they hadn't actually been fighting Kisame, it had still showed Psi was skilled enough for them to respect her.

"If she can help then so can I. You were saying the seal covers the rock. Why not make your own entrance, find out how far the seal extends and punch a hole next to it?"

There was silence as people thought this idea over, it did make sense. It was just thinking outside of the box.

"It could take a while though," Naruto reasoned. He needed to help Gaara.

"It's also less likely to be booby trapped, morons," Mu grumbled. "Why put an entrance that's kinda obvious if you don't booby trap it? They want us to find the seals and it would probably result in someone dying or at least separating us to make us weaker"

"What made you so insightful?"

"It's what I would do-"

"-and has done, I remember the fire seal you put on your 'hideout'," Psi said with a glare.

"Right then, Sakura, work with Neji to find a place to bust through but don't until I say," Kakashi ordered. "The rest of you make sure you tend to any problems now"

-

Inside the cave nine figures each stood on one of ten figures that made up most of a huge statue. Only two of theses figures were corporeal, the rest looked like low tech silhouettes of the people they represented but they still could be identified by someone who had met them.

In the middle of the cave lay Gaara, a pink glowing cloud of energy surrounded him, trailing into the main part of the statue. The process was almost finished, there was much wonderment on whether it would be finished before the ninjas go though. There would have been no question had they tried the forbidden seals.

Deidara stood on his stone finger thinking but still aware of the surroundings, if it came down to it, he and Sasori would have to hold them off. From Kisame and Itachi's reports there was a large group, including several very pissed of ninjas. He was sad that Max could possibly be dead, he wasn't going to believe it until he saw her dead body though. The fact that it was Itachi who seemingly killed her only confused the blond artist.

He saw part of the wall explode inwards and know the group had breached the cave. Seconds later the last remnants of the Ichibi's chakra entered the statue, the process of removing it now being complete.

Both Psi and Mu were hesitant about entering the cave, not because they were scared but because if Itachi was in there then their cover would be blown. It would probably be easier to leave now, there were too many risks now. It wasn't as if the clones could do much now.

-

When Max felt her control slipping she knew she had to get them out of there soon anyway, both had managed to loose too much chakra to sustain for to much longer. The group would have to deal with it on their own. While she knew they would survive, it hurt to not be able to help. Naruto was already taking the situation badly, both of her clones could see the emotions bubbling up in him.

Assuming she survived her self assigned missions, Max was planning to stay clear of everyone. Her supposed death would hurt all of them and finding out she had lied would make them hate her. It would be better she stayed dead to them. As a Sannin she still had her travelling rights and if her cover was blown she had a few excuses ready.

-

Outside the cave the sun was beginning to set, this gave Mu and Psi a good reason to leave, wishing the ninjas luck they headed off to their 'grandmas house'. It was easy to lie and say they had supposed to have gotten there by sun down or there would be more trouble than staying would be worth. Max dispelled them when they were out of Neji's range.

She dismissed her short time guards, they understood her motives and as ANBU they understood the situation. She could rely on their silence, ANBU honoured their own.

Lying back on the grass she looked up to the sky, she would need a brand new alias. It had occurred to her that if Laura ever heard the names of her clones there would be problems. With any luck her friends would just assume someone had heard rumours from the SGC.

She hoped Gaara was ok, she knew he was in the series but she had screwed up so much, stepping on a butterfly could change a million things. She would check up on him once her new identity was in place.

First up she needed to change her appearance, not just use a Henge, they were hard to maintain and for most of the people she knew they were easy to detect. She would need to change hair colour and length or style, as well as her eye colour. A dramatic change in wardrobe was also on her list, preferably something that covered any distinctive markings like tattoos or scars.

But first she had her emotions to deal with.

-

In Konoha there was a solemn silence in Tsunade's office as the teams reported in. The desolate looks on so many of the faces hit hard. Some of them were still hanging on to the fact she could still be alive, her body hadn't been found.

It was also why they refused to let her name be put on the KIA monument, that would just be accepting her death as fact. Max had disappeared before.

The whole village noticed the unusual calmness but not many bothered to find out why, shinobi affairs were best left alone.

Naruto and Sasuke were often found training when not on missions. The threats around them to their lives and the village had just increased tenfold. Or at least that was their excuse. They would deny any hint of a plan to hunt down and kill the traitor.

Laura and Louise didn't bother denying it. Their only draw back was lack of formal shinobi training. It didn't slow down their planning though, they were geniuses in their own right after all, they just had to be creative.

-

The very girl they were morning for hid in a cave hugging her knees and trying to stop the tears from falling. The emotions she had pushed away had returned in full force bring back all the sad memories she had. She didn't bother to try to wipe away the tears that had escaped. They would only be replaced by more. Her injuries were healing but the emotional scars would never truly fade.

While she cried for the powerful betrayal by someone she had loved, she also mourned for the bridge she had just burnt. There was no going back now.

Maxine Hakie no longer existed.

-

One month later, a girl sat on the side of the Great Naruto Bridge, her feet dangling over the water. Her face was partially obscured by the shadow of her tilted conical hat and she wore a long black jacket that draped over the back of the wall. Unless you got up close, the girl could remain anonymous and overlooked. If by chance some one paid any attention to this girl, they wouldn't think she was anything special, just a girl, possibly waiting for a friend.

They wouldn't see the many hidden weapons this girl had hidden in her clothes. They wouldn't know she was dangerous. Nor would they know that she was currently presumed dead in most of the world.

A timid woman approached the girl. The sun was barely on the horizon and the bridge was almost empty. The woman drew up to just behind the girl.

"Can you help me?" the woman asked quietly. The girl's lips curled into a smirk.

"If no one else can," she said, her voice was low, purposefully so to hide her real voice.

"Will you help me?"

"H.M. Murdock at your service." The girl removed her hat, revealing dull red hair, she turned to face the woman who gaped in surprise.

"You're so young!"

"I hear you need help with getting your produce to Port City." The girl said ignoring the woman's statement. It had been surprisingly easy to make herself look younger without illusions if only by a bit.

"The last few journeys have resulted in bandits, anytime I try to hire someone the bandits bribe them away"

"You won't have that problem with me, they couldn't give what I want. When do we leave?" The girl almost seemed sad but the woman didn't ask, she doubted the girl would share.

-

At the same time in Konoha, news had reached them about and attack on the Fire Temple and a team had been dispatched to investigate and track down the culprits.

It was shear coincidence that lead part of the team to waiting outside the bounty station that was on the same path from Land of Waves to Port City.

A woman and a red haired girl walked down the path a mule pulled cart in tow. They were planning to get passed the next rest stop before their next breaks. Rest stops were easy targets for bandits.

At about the same time that Hidan exited the building the woman and girl came into sight of the building and people outside. The two were chatting about what ever came to mind. Neither of them realised the danger until they got closer. The woman could see the girl wanted to go ahead but her dedication to her job stopped it.

"Do you know them?" the woman asked quietly. They hadn't been noticed yet and the woman wanted to keep it that way. She also had seen the girl she was with was a good fighter but against so many people, and seemingly high level too, the woman wasn't so sure.

"I know _of_ them, Konoha ninjas and a member of the Akatsuki from the looks of the cloak, one of the ninjas is or was a guardian of the fire temple." The girl ignored the impressed look from the woman. Information gathering wasn't hard with her job.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Depends on what you mean by win. The Akatsuki member is rumoured to be immortal, but immortal doesn't mean he can't be defeated"

The two stood and watched the fight, the woman knew she wouldn't be able to help even if she wanted to. The girl knew she couldn't risk showing off he techniques until she had settled on a fighting style. So they both kept out of sight. The girl noticed another Akatsuki member exit he building.

"Who's the other guy?" the woman asked.

"Partner, I don't know too much about him, he's also pretty hard to kill though," the girl stated.

"Could you kill them?"

"I wouldn't know until I fight them, should that ever occur"

Something drew them to pay attention as the first Akatsuki member's skin changed into black with white accents and he drew a symbol in blood on the floor just as the area around him exploded.

As the fight drew on Shikamaru managed to drag Hidan out of the symbol while Asuma managed to slice right through his neck severing the head form the body.

The girl could not hold still any long, she discarded her hat and jacket and darted forward, running low and fast. She grabbed the head as she slid passed as if she were playing baseball. She winced slightly wishing she wasn't wearing a skirt but if she had kept running it would have left her back exposed. Before her momentum ran out she shifted her weight and legs to leap up into a fighting stance facing the group.

"What do you think you are doing?" the head asked the girl.

The girl almost dropped the head in surprise.

"Oh, great it talks," she muttered. "I'm getting revenge"

"By killing me?" The head looked amused at the mere thought.

"No, I know you're immortal but while your head is separate from your body you can't do anything." The girl looked up to see everyone was staring at her. "How about while I detain the head you do something about the other guy?"

The girl hid her uneasiness when Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to see something she was hiding. She almost regretted her actions, she would have to control her impulses if she was to keep her identity low key.

"Why do you want revenge?" the head asked. The girl shook it around a bit, if the head could then it probably would have puked.

"Any other questions?" the girl asked smiling cruelly. "No? I'll take my leave then" Before anyone realised she was leaving she had disappeared from sight. She sent a clone to the woman she was protecting while she suppressed her presence. Her clone had been made to look similar to the woman so they could pass as sisters. They walked around the edge of the still stunned group.

The girl joined up when they were well out of sight. The head was no where to be seen as the girl had sealed it in a scroll. The girl slipped her jacket back on but only held her hat.

"What's the deal with the head then?" the woman asked.

"I made a promise to protect someone, that someone will be hunted down by the Akatsuki. My solution is obvious, I take the organization down bit by bit. My possession of the head had effectively taken down one of them."

"Why didn't you kill the other one then?"

"As I said I don't know much about him. Until I do I will let him be"

"You're a strange girl"

--

Despite Max having a new alias she will still be referred to as Max or Murdock in later chapters.

Points to anyone who can name the series I got the new alias from, if you get it right I'll give you a shout out character in a later chapter, you have until I get then next chapter out.

MinibooExtreme is however excluded from this as I know she already knows as I discussed this with her.

I also have a drawing of the new alias, link in my profile.

Please review


	12. Theft and poison

Wow, a month...

Sorry 'bout that.

Oh and both **Suicidal Rose** and **Bubbles of Ebil** will get a character shout-outs at some point for knowing that H.M. Murdock comes from The A-Team. I'll let you know when the chapter with your character shout out comes out.

-~-

Dedicated to Laura, one of my best friends of whom a character is based on, I hope she gets better soon.

-~-

_Two months ago, the youngest Sannin faked her own death after a series of unfortunate events, so that she could work towards her own goal unhindered. Hiding from anyone who knows her, she now works as a solider of fortune under a new alias. _

_If you have a problem. If no one else can help. And if you can find her. Maybe you can hire Howling Mad Murdock._

_-  
_

The red haired girl, known as Murdock, and the woman finally arrived at Port City, the usual bandits wouldn't be bothering the woman anymore after their meeting with Murdock. The lucky ones would never walk again. The unlucky ones no longer needed to walk.

"What do you plan to do now?" The woman asked casting a weary eye at Murdock, that girl had manage to explode the bandits camp in a ball of scorching flames. The girl smirked and placed her conical bamboo hat on, leaving the ties undone.

"What I normally do, my job," she said flipping something shiny into the air and catching it. The woman managed to catch a proper glimpse of it and could see it was a ring. It had no meaning to her though, Murdock was allowed to keep her secrets.

Murdock disappeared into the crowded market place looking for a potential client. Her actual goal right now was to find somewhere to rest, she wanted to lie low for a bit. The Konoha ninjas would be on the lookout for her.

She easily found a room and sat down to meditate, she was getting a bit too impulsive so wanted to rein in on these actions that could compromise her identity. Sighing, she ran a hand through her short hair, the dye made it feel weird but it was easier than keeping up a Henge all the time. Her natural hair colour had been too distinctive. It was one of the many changes she had made, her eyes now matched with a dull green, her skin was now a few shades darker and with the help of some Earth cosmetics her facial planes looked different.

-

In Konoha, Tsunade looked at the chart at the end of Asuma's bed, he was recovering much slower than she had hoped for and was currently in a healing coma. It had been a dangerous move, he may not wake up but it was the only hope there had been. The reports from the battle were bugging her though.

How did someone become immortal? And the whole ingesting blood thing, that was creepy. Then there was the mysterious girl. Tsunade had her suspicions about this girls identity but the personality didn't fit. Max would have taken down the other Akatsuki member.

Tsunade took another look at the sleeping form of Asuma before leaving to check on some other patients. Staring at someone would not heal them any faster.

-

The girl in Port City wandered the market place occasionally approaching a stall to examine the wares. She kept an ear out for any interesting information. She clutched the ring in her hand, she had stolen it off Hidan's body when she had slid past. The kanji for three marked it and Murdock knew each of the others had a different Kanji. She planned to go after Orochimaru's next, Sasori's had probably been found by someone by now. She wished she'd thought of stealing them earlier.

From what she knew Orochimaru's ring was still on his original arm, probably deep in his base. She would defiantly have fun with this one. She suppressed the desire to burn the place to the ground. She wanted to be subtle with her thefts of the unique rings. No one had noticed her take Hidan's no one would notice her take Orochimaru's if this worked. Unless she found an easy way she wouldn't kill him she was keeping her skill low key for the moment.

After that she would have to figure out whom to target next. Sasori's replacement could work, maybe she could spook Deidara, as Max's 'ghost', enough so she could steal his ring.

Murdock was brought out of her plotting by a knock on the door. Her new client. The man needed to go somewhere dangerously close to a certain place in Sound. His son had gone missing and sources had led him to believe the kid was in a village just south of Murdock's next destination. She didn't mind the detour though. It gave her an excuse to go there.

The next four days were spent travelling. It could have taken less time had Murdock not avoided Konoha and it's ninjas . The man didn't question it, he didn't like ninja's, not after his wife had been killed by some on during a raid that she had been caught up in.

The village itself wasn't too big but Murdock could feel a multitude of tunnels running under the buildings.

"Rest up for the moment, I'll be back in an hour," Murdock told the man, and then she vanished.

-

Sasuke was finishing up with his escort mission the elderly couple now with their child and grandchild. He didn't understand why they would want to be so near to Orochimaru but it wasn't his job to question it. As he walked to the gates he noticed something, ahead, at the gates someone was creeping up on one of the gate keepers. He hung back to observe, natural curiosity and all that.

The gate keeper was knocked out with a muted thud as the shadowed figure's foot connected with the sentry's head. The second gatekeeper who had been napping was dispatched into a deeper unconscious in a similar manner. The figure then ran into a wall. Or rather straight through a wall, it reminded Sasuke of platform nine and three quarters. Having a secret entrance near the gates made some sort of sense, no one would suspect it. He filed the knowledge away in case it ever came in handy.

-

All was not well in Konoha though. Laura lay on the sofa clutching her stomach in pain. It hurt to move and the house was empty. Louise was doing some overtime again, that girl worked almost as much as Max had. Laura tried to curl up more, remembering Max hurt.

By the time Louise got home, Laura had passed out and was looking bad. Her skin was pale and clammy. The tinge of green around her lips made Louise's stomach drop. Poison.

It was probably the desire to keep Laura alive that allowed Louise to get Laura to hospital in good time. There was no way that Laura was going to die too. When Laura was in the care of Tsunade herself only then did Louise head back to the house, looking for something to lead back to the culprit.

Heads were going to roll.

-

Murdock crept through the house, she knew that she had been watched, and she knew whom she was being watched by. Otherwise she would have waited before entering the village. She found the trapdoor and entered the underground network of tunnels. There were some people in a room a couple of hundred meters ahead but because of the density of the people it was hard to tell anything about them.

The extraction of her client's son took only a bit of planning with a huge but subtle distraction. She sent a clone with the two to make sure they got to somewhere safer. She herself ventured further into the tunnel system, Orochimaru's base was connected to them along the way from her intel. All she needed to do was find and grab the ring and get out when no one was looking.

Simple.

The getting in went off without a hitch, her Death God form was good for that much, though travelling through walls was still a weird feeling. She avoided looking at anyone, the numbers were distracting and she really didn't want to know when they would die. She didn't even know the current date to compare them too.

When she had finally found the severed arm with the ring she had been just a teeny bit disgusted but she had continued with her plan. She changed back into her human form and unrolled a scroll ready to seal the arm. It was likely to be alarmed so she wouldn't have time to do it later. It was easier to carry a scroll without looking out of place than a severed arm.

As predicted as soon as she removed the arm an alarm sounded throughout the room and she presumed the base too. She quickly sealed the arm and was about to change back to a Death God when someone burst into the room. Using the persons temporary confusion Murdock slipped out of the door using her chakra to blend into the walls, with all the noise from the alarm she didn't need to be quiet.

If she ever had a base, she would install flashing lights to warn people of an intruder. More noise was too counterproductive on trying to catch the intruder.

She weaved through the people easily, sometimes clinging to the ceiling if there was no way through.

Someone was on her tail though, they probably knew these tunnels better than she did so she didn't try to lose them. She would wait until they were out on a level playing field. She successfully exited the tunnel system and practically flew through the village gates. The person tailing her hadn't given up. Murdock knew she had to get rid of it before she did anything else.

A few hours later Murdock was still being followed, she had tried everything she could. Chakra suppression, changing her appearance and masking her physical tracks. She suspected it was her scent that was enabling the person to track her, she couldn't do anything here, she needed to find a crowded place. No one had found a good instant solution for scent covering, if you tried to replace it the tracker would just follow the new scent.

She headed up a tree to gather her bearings and found the perfect place to go to so that she could change her scent, shame she never wanted to return there.

Konoha was about a day's nonstop travel, it was the best place she had of her plan working as her scent was guaranteed to be overpowered, she could then find some substitute smell to keep her own masked.

She carried on running, just under the green canopy of the trees. She didn't want her pursuer to get above her, that would be asking for trouble. Aerial attacks were the most annoying to deal with because they had gravity working with them.

-

In Konoha hospital Laura slept on, the poison was being flushed out of her system, it was a painful process so she was in an induced coma for it, it would also allow for her body to recover fully. It had been a close call but they weren't out of the woods yet, they weren't sure if Laura would ever wake up. The poison had spread quite a bit and some of her organs had been on the verge of shutting down, they still were. No one could identify the poison and even a bezoar wasn't working.

-

Louise was taking a forced sabbatical from her work. Apparently someone needed to be alive to give information and locations. Who knew? So she couldn't take her anger out on her prisoners and she was having no luck with anything else, Itachi was keeping well hidden and Laura's assailant had covered his tracks well. She decided to take a trip to earth, see if she could find someone to help Laura. She took couple of samples of Laura's blood so that she wouldn't have to bring them to Konoha.

-

H.M. Murdock finally reached Konoha at about midday, looking over the familiar village a wave of nostalgia hit her. She wiped her eyes, tears threatening to fall. She masked the feeling and put on a slightly wondrous look as if she had never seen the place before.

If she'd had time she would have re-dyed her hair, if someone recognised this persona it could lead to her whole cover being blown if they investigated further. Unfortunately she couldn't re-dye her hair on the run.

It felt weird, walking down the streets she knew like the back of her hand. Last time she had walked these paths everything had been fine. Now nothing felt right. She felt like a stranger.

Someone bumped into Murdock and so she passively twisted with the push allowing the person past. She then recognised the person. Louise never hurried but it was defiantly her.

Murdock now had a decision, find out why Louise was in a hurry and risk her cover, probably lose her anonymity and possibly her friends or she could ignore it and stay as another face in the crowd.

Then there was the third option which she chose, with only a minimally lest amount of risk than the second option, she sent a clone to follow her friend.

That done she continued to mingle around the market place letting herself absorb the scents. She allowed herself to reminisce as she would be gone before sunset.

--

Please review


	13. The good and the bad

Hey it hasn't been a month this time!

My friend gets discharged from hospital hopefully tomorrow! Just in time for the holidays...

--

It was hard to leave Konoha. Murdock couldn't help but look over her shoulder as she left. The village's silhouette was pitch black against the sun that was just dipping below the horizon behind it. A few dark spots could be seen jumping across the rooftops. She wanted to stay and help Laura but she wasn't a medic, she could barely patch up her own wounds, let alone treat poison that wasn't covered by a bezoar.

The second she was out of sight she masked her presence and disappeared into the dense woodlands.

Deidara would probably be the easiest target currently, unless he already had a partner, then she might delay it until she knew more. Then she would go after Kisame and Itachi.

She hadn't gone for them first and, as much as it pained her, she would not kill them. Doing either of those things could form a motivational link to her as Max which she could not afford. Not until her task was complete, and maybe not even then. Murdock was still not sure if Max should remain dead.

She couldn't feel anyone following her as she headed towards the Land of Lightning. Two tailed beasts made their hidden village a good size target for Akatsuki.

-

Tsunade listened to the reports of a red haired girl who had just left the village, if she'd had any idea that the girl would come here she would had asked for her to be escorted to her office. That girl was a mystery, a mystery with enough guts to steal an Akatsuki member's head then turn up to one of the most powerful ninja villages. Yet the girl had still managed to stay under the radar. If that girl ever returned to the village then all shinobi were ordered to apprehend her.

-

Louise stood in front of the Stargate, it was the first time she had actually seen it. While she had watched the series it looked weird up close. Shikamaru was her escort as she was technically still a civilian, just an important one employed by the village. Tsunade didn't want to lose the last of the weird trio.

On the other side of the gate they were assigned an escort, Shikamaru obviously recognised her. Hermione Granger, graduate of Hogwarts. Upon finding out the situation, Hermione volunteered to research the subject, but her field of research was runes, not medicine. She had gotten into contact with Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape, they would look at the blood samples and try to figure it out. Louise didn't feel the need to inform them of Max's death, it would be better coming from someone they actually knew well.

-

It was easier than Murdock had thought to steal Deidara's ring.

She had located where he was camping and noted some of the traps set up around it. This was going to be a pain but it was the best way, she took out her coloured contacts and applied a light genjutsu to keep the disguised colour. She then stumbled upon one of the trip wires sending sand into her eyes. It would give the impression she was a civilian, not able to see the trap and avoid it like a shinobi.

Staggering forward using FA to guide her she reached a clearing and to gain Deidara's attention she tripped over a root. She could feel the heat of the fire he sat at, so she knew she could use that as an excuse of why she suspected someone was here.

"Uh, hello? Is anyone here? Help please, I can't see," she called out nervously. She bit her lip and crawled forward towards the fire wincing as the dry ground scraped against her knees. She almost crawled into the fire but a hand grabbed her arm pulled her back.

"Are you trying to burn yourself?" Deidara scolded. He released her arm and resumed staring at the fire.

"I didn't realise it was so close," Murdock apologised meekly, "I could feel the heat I didn't think it was so close"

"What are you doing here?"

"Taking a short cut, I was supposed to be going to my aunt's house to help out, she broke her leg and needs all the help she can get. I walked into something and something got thrown into my face so I can't see"

"You should watch were you're going, that was one of my less dangerous traps. Didn't your mother ever tell you the woods are dangerous?"

"I was running late, I need to get going as it is or she'll tan my hide"

"How exactly do you plan on getting there, you can't see?"

"Uh, didn't think about that, guess I suppose. I know I need to go about south-east, and the sun is in the right side of my face so I need to go that way," Murdock said pointing south-east. "I can also hear a river near by so I can wash the stuff out my eyes," she started to crawl away.

"I should kill you, you know," Murdock froze, had he somehow found out her identity. "I didn't want to be disturbed." She almost sighed in relief, Deidara didn't know. "But you reminded me of someone I knew, everyone thinks she's dead, I don't believe them. She's a fighter, but she's also, just, ditzy I guess, you just seem similar"

"Was she your girlfriend?" Murdock asked, not because she wanted to know, she already knew the answer, but she was a girl, they were nosy about that kind of stuff. She was flattered that Deidara thought she was still alive though.

"No, just a good friend." There was a pause before Murdock 'saw' Deidara get up. She was still frozen from the 'kill you' comment, as a normal kid would be and pretended to be unaware of his silent movements. "I'll take you to the river, I don't want you to drown." Deidara said helping her stand, Murdock had remembered to twitch at the supposed surprise contact.

"Uh, thanks"

It had been easy to stumble on a few more roots and grab his hand or arm to steady herself, using that she had slipped the ring off his finger and hidden it in the folds of her skirt where multiple pockets were concealed.

She'd also solved the mystery of where Sasori's ring was, Deidara had also been in possession of that one, a couple more stumbles and she had acquired it too. Deidara left her as soon as she had washed the sand out of her eyes and Murdock was back on her own, almost halfway done with her mission. She now held four of the ten rings. Any demons they found would take a lot longer to seal giving a rescue team longer to find them.

At least she could stop for a while, Itachi was going to be difficult to track down.

The threat of Louise was enough to send anyone into hiding. If Laura had been in full health and Max still around then not a force on the planet would be able to stop them. But as it was Max was supposedly dead and Laura was ill.

-

Upon the discovery of the poison used on Laura the antidote was rushed to Konoha, time was now of the essence. The healing coma wouldn't stop the poison's work, just slow it down. If left too long then Laura could be left paralyzed, trapped in her own body. Only one group of hostile ninjas had been stupid enough to get in their way. Only one remained, drooling, slumped up against a tree, he would be of no use to anyone, his mind was beyond gone. Limbs littered the small area, eye balls gathered in a small pile. Two bloodstained teens continued their way back to Konoha, people giving them a wide berth.

-

Miles away, unaware of the bloodshed cause by her friend, Murdock entered the female side of the hot springs, it was unusually empty but it was also three in the morning. She had picked this time for a reason, she needed to re-dye her hair, she didn't want to add dye on top of the first lot, so she was cleaning the old dye out first. To do that she needed privacy so her identity could keep anonymous.

She filled a bowl with water from the springs, added the dye removal solution and stirred it. It thickened into a gel like substance which she coated her hair in. The gel would dissolve the dye and then could be washed out. She cleaned out the bowl and filled it with clean water ready for rinsing.

She untied the sash holding her robe closed and removed the item of clothing, hanging it up on the hook near by. The warm water looked so inviting as she slipped in, barely disturbing the surface out of instinct. It would take ten minutes for the solution to work and she hadn't had much of a chance to relax recently. The heat soothed her tired muscles.

The ten minutes whizzed passed and Murdock grudgingly got out of the spring, she put her robe back on, the material sticking to her wet skin. She rinsed her hair in the bowl of water, she didn't want to contaminate the spring with the chemicals.

After all the stuff was gone she rinsed her hair again and sat down to wait, leaning against the bamboo wall. Her hair needed to dry completely before she could even think about using the dye again.

She didn't realised the warmth was making her drift off to sleep, the heat was fuzzing up her senses.

That's possibly why she didn't notice her attackers until it was too late. The needle entered her skin before she even realised someone was in the hot springs with her.

-

Laura was propped up in bed, the cure had worked but her motor control would take some work to fully regain, the nerve damage would take time to heal. Louise sat in a chair next to her reading a book aloud for Laura's benefit. Sasuke and Naruto had visited earlier before their latest mission.

Sasuke would have liked to stay for longer but Konoha needed all of its ninjas with two of its strongest now gone. Laura seemed to enjoy the second of Max's books, it had been found stuffed behind a sofa cushion, about the only safe place from Anko who refused to even go near it after an incident with a bag of slime and a cucumber.

One of the nurses had come in clutching a wad of blood stained tissues to her nose when checking over Laura's vitals. It was obvious that the poor nurse had been listening at one of the romantically intimate parts between two guys.

For a few hours they forgot the world as Louise read the book.

-

When Murdock woke up everything felt wrong. Her movement was limited, all she could see was white with some grey shadows, she couldn't smell anything and all she could hear was white noise. She tried to remember what happened but it all seemed fuzzy. She tried some experimental movements to see exactly what she could move.

What she found out, she didn't like. It seemed she was in a straitjacket, her ankles also tied together, at least she was wearing what seemed to be hospital pyjamas underneath.

So someone had managed to capture her, but they hadn't killed her yet, they weren't taking her anywhere to collect a bounty either. There was no one yelling at her about pretending to be dead so that safely ruled out Konoha, or if she was in Konoha, they hadn't gotten past her disguise.

It didn't matter, she would escape anyway with one of her many tricks.

It was then it hit her, the lack of colour or smell or even sound wasn't what felt wrong.

She couldn't feel her Chakra, nor her magic, and it scared her. She had none of her equipment on her, it was all back at the hot springs hidden, buried near a tree.

The hot springs, that's where she had been when she had been captured, she had been sorting her hair…

The situation had just gotten worse. Her hair was silver, confirmed as she shook her head and saw the shining strands. Who ever had captured her knew she was Max. Max was supposed to be dead.

There was only one thing to do now, wait, see who her captors were and find some way to escape. Konoha had been completely ruled out now.

She managed to shuffle up against a wall and drew her knees up to touch her chin, her arms were forced to hug her chest by the strong material of the straitjacket.

She sat, curled up, and tried to meditate to reconnect with her chakra with no success. The white noise buzzing in her ears keep snapping her out of it before she could get far. It was stopping her from even thinking too much with her sensitive hearing.

Were her captors trying to make her lose all of what remained of her sanity?

-

Sasuke finally got his time off in the form of a mission, he was to look after Laura while she recovered outside the hospital, making sure she didn't strain herself and that no one else tried to harm her. He didn't mind, it had been a while since he'd had time to spend with her. They were snuggled up on the sofa watching a film. If asked he wouldn't be able to explain what the film was about, he was to busy watching Laura, threading his fingers though her blond hair.

--

Please review


	14. Debt repaid

Ok, updates may be slow, I have important exams in June and my parents insist I start revising now.

There is a transition in here where Max goes from being referred to as 'Murdock' to 'Max', there is a reason, shout-out-character goes to anyone who figures it out. (If you already have a shout-out-character then it will definitely appear more)

--

~Shout-out-character for **Bubbles of Ebil**, may or may not become a recurring character~

--

Weeks passed, the white room remained constant, slowly driving Murdock crazy… crazier. She could feel the hunger pangs, they kept her grounded mostly but sometimes they only helped her insanity. Maybe the nurse would be feeling her soon.

If she had any sense of time, Murdock would know that she only got fed once a week. The nurse would attach a tube to a valve now imbedded directly into her stomach, pureed food would then be pumped in. The feeling of helplessness didn't help, she couldn't stop whatever it was being pumped in, nor could she even see what it was.

She was still in the dark about where she was, the nurse showed no sign of village affiliation nor did she talk. No one else visited her, not while she was awake anyway. Murdock did have a distinct feeling not all of the times she fell asleep were voluntary, she could feel a needle in her left arm, it could be delivering anything into her bloodstream.

-

Members of Akatsuki had discovered the theft of some of the rings and as such had called a meeting. Itachi and Kisame had been sent to Orochimaru to see if that one had been stolen too. Deidara had been berated after losing two of them, had Hidan been around he would have been berated too. Even if they did find Orochimaru's ring had been stolen Itachi and Kisame were to find as much about the thief as they could.

While getting into Sound, it was painfully obvious something had happened, the security had doubled since their last visit. Kisame and Itachi split to cover more ground, they were both confident that they could take on anyone who saw them as a threat. Kisame took the village while Itachi snuck into the base itself, his use of genjutsu would allow him to get in undetected.

-

"_Do you like green eggs and ham?_" Murdock whispered in English, her voice unused to much more than a whisper, though the syllables still flowed freely from her lips.

"_I do not like them Sam-I-am._" She would never forget her mother tongue and how it felt. "_I do not like green eggs and ham._" It had taken weeks for her to feel like she could do more than just sit there.

"_Would you like them here or there?_" If they were going to break her she would take someone with her.

"_I would not like them here or there_." She had memorised this a long time ago. "_I would not like them anywhere._" To anyone listening it sounded like nonsense.

"_Would you like them in a house?_" Even if they did understand the language it would still be meaningless unless they were Louise or Laura. "_Would you like them with a mouse?_"

It would be a while before anyone realised she was repeating herself, the nurse was sat in a room nearby observing the girl on some monitors, the sound filtered through speakers.

The only reason she hadn't been silenced was because her observer thought she was repeating a code, one that she might alter and give them some clue of what it was.

Murdock was succeeding in one way, she was driving them insane. Their boss was not going to be pleased, though Orochimaru rarely was.

-

Another person walked the corridors of Orochimaru's base, and as far as anyone was concerned he was unwelcome. If anyone noticed him anyway. Itachi had been ordered to check out the entire base, just in case it had been moved to a less conspicuous place. As he wandered down the hallway, peoples gazes just slid right past him as if he wasn't there. Unlike most of the ninjas assigned to the Hogwarts mission he actively use magic to aid him, it was useful in some ways but Chakra far outstripped it in other ways.

A corridor piques his interest, the cells of Orochimaru's prisoners. Akatsuki were always looking for new blood and Orochimaru only let the strongest live. He looked at the clipboard outside the first room, nothing outstanding so he moved on. Some of the clipboard showed some potential, he might suggest a raid soon. Even if it did go wrong he could read their weaknesses and use them if needed.

At the end of that corridor was a window looking into a dark room with a couple of screens on a table next to a door. A woman sat inside watching the screen and writing something down. The screens were too small to see anything distinguished but there was still a clipboard with the prisoner's details. He lifted it off its hook to inspect and then almost dropped it.

_Name: Maxine Hakie_

That was impossible.

-

A few cells down a girl woke up, something had changed the usual monotony. There was someone new. The girl could tell, only new people showed these kinds of emotions, regulars were never shocked by what they saw unless someone had escaped. This new person was beyond shock, more like disbelief on the verge of full out denial. The girl knew no one had escaped to cause the shock, she would have felt the lack of their emotions. She could feel everyone's emotions in the block.

She could feel the stranger stopped outside the lost girl's room, the always present apathetic woman between the newcomer and lost girl. The girl sat up in her cell, she hadn't been restrained and so was free to move, she pressed her ear up to the door, hoping to hear something interesting. Emotions around here never really changed so she had to take the drama that she got.

The newcomer moved down the corridor, leaving, the same emotion emanating from him, increasing then decreasing in strength as he passed her cell.

-

Itachi was at a loss. He had absolutely no clue what he should do now. He couldn't break her out now, as much as he would love to have. After all he did owe her after the whole rescuing him in a towel thing. But there was also the fact this was Orochimaru's base. Wandering around unnoticed was one thing, breaking someone out was a completely different kettle of fish. Akatsuki wasn't likely to help him either, Deidara might but the others wouldn't.

He met up with Kisame outside the village, both empty handed, and they began their trek back to base.

"Something's bothering you," Kisame said. Itachi knew there was no point denying it.

"It's none of your concern"

"Orochimaru's experiments were that disgusting?" Itachi just remained silent, neither confirming nor denying it. It would be a long night.

-

Max wished that the sedative was more effective, she was building up a tolerance and who ever was in charge didn't seem to notice, or care. She'd woken up while being injected with something, it had been painful and intrusive. The shocked look on the woman's face showed Max hadn't been supposed to wake up. As had become routine Max had started to recite 'Green eggs and ham' in English.

She had no idea of who had been there a few days previously and who was planning her break out.

A couple of hours later she lost conscious, the needle in her arm delivering the sedative like clockwork.

Then all hell broke loose.

A couple of cells down the door exploded, unfortunately killing the man inside and cracking some walls. A figure walked straight passed it, it was only there as a distraction. He continued down to the end of the corridor and entered the nurses room, killing her before she even noticed his presence.

A little piece of the figure broke when he saw Max. Her face was as pale as her hair, which itself almost blended in with the white walls. Hoisting the girl over his shoulder, the figure walked out of the girl's cell to freedom.

As he walked down the corridor a girl crawled through a crack in her wall, one that joined her cell to the deceased mans cell. The girl knew he was the same person who had been so shocked. She followed him, he was taking the lost girl with him, the girl could tell he had feelings for the lost girl.

Itachi didn't care that another prisoner was escaping, nothing in his appearance or scent would link him to his true identity so as far as he was concerned she wasn't a risk.

-

It was on the border to fire country Itachi could finish his part in this rescue, he could feel a familiar chakra heading towards him, he was glad it was just one.

He stood in the middle of the path, Max still slung over his shoulder. The girl who had also escaped was by his side. He strangely didn't mind.

Kakashi dropped from the trees to face Itachi, His visible eye widening at the sight.

"Take her home," Itachi said, absolutely no emotion in his voice. "Tell her we're even." He place Max on the ground, she was still in the straitjacket, Itachi didn't want to risk her killing him when she woke. Itachi then turned on his heel and walked down the path, the empathic girl following.

Had Max not been there and in the state she was in Kakashi would have attacked the Uchiha. But with Max there almost as a peace offering Kakashi restrained the urge. He picked her up and began the journey home.

-

The next time Max woke, nothing looked different, still a white room, still no sign of anyone. Something felt different though.

"_Sam I am,_" Max started, why break a habit?

-

Observing via a screen Sakura watched the girl. Max's presence was a high class secret due to her state and the means by which she was found. Sakura listened to the words, recognising them as English but she didn't know much of the language. She would have to talk to Tsunade to get a fluent English speaker in. Laura and Louise had specifically been banned from knowing anything, any judgement they made would be considered influenced by their friendship with Max.

It was actually really difficult to find someone who hadn't come into contact with Max, spoke English and Japanese and was cleared to visit the village. They eventually found one, a marine who'd only recently been transferred to the Stargate base in the elemental countries, his babysitter had been Japanese leading to his learning the language.

The first time he heard what Max was saying he thought it was a joke. Then he remembered where he was.

"She's reciting a book, a children's book, Green eggs and ham by Dr Seuss," he said. "Doesn't have the same rhyming sounds in Japanese though"

-

Laura and Louise had been underestimated, within ten minutes of the marine arriving at Max's cell they knew about it, they could only draw one conclusion. Only one other person spoke enough fluent English to need an impartial translator.

Max.

This of course lead to both girls questioning just what was going on, Max was dead. If they hadn't been called to translate then the guards probably had orders to stop them from getting in.

This called for alternative measures. Tsunade herself would not be able to observe so who else but her apprentice, Sakura. Sakura who still had a crush on a certain someone.

"Sasuke…" It was something in the way Laura said that the made Sasuke wonder what scheme they were planning for this time.

Another ten minutes passed and Sasuke returned looking slightly puzzled.

"Any idea if there's a meaning behind 'Green eggs and ham?" The effect was immediate. Sasuke was rewarded with a brief kiss from Laura before the two girls disappeared. Not even Tsunade would be able to stop those two girls and Sasuke had the distinct feeling that they been kept out of this loop on purpose.

"_You may like them. You will see. You may like them in a tree!_" Max was still at it, part way through her second repeat.

"_I would not, could not in a tree. Not in a car! You let me be._" Someone continued, Max's head shot upright, clicking her neck slightly at the sudden movement. In the door way stood Laura and Louise, behind them looked to be a knocked out guard. Max's mouth opened but no words came out. Her mind had immediately regarded the image as a hallucination and therefore dismissed their presence.

"I see the report of your death was exaggerated then," Laura said looking over her friend.

"She doesn't look any crazier than usual either"

"_I do not like them in a box. I do not like them with a fox. I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am._" The last words were said with contempt. Both of her friends frowned, not the reaction they had been expecting. They were hauled out of the doorway and the door closed, Max was once again left in the white room on her own.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Tsunade demanded.

"Seeing our friend," Louise answered glaring at the Hokage.

"We aren't even sure if that's her, it could be an a spy"

"Who can recite an English book… in English. Wow, I'm impressed," Laura said sardonically.

"I'm saying she may not be herself, many countries use brainwashing on captives and considering it was a missing nin who brought her back we can't be too careful"

"Itachi brought her back, didn't he," Laura said, her mouth forming a grim line. If it had been any other missing nin then Tsunade would have given a name. "Do you know what she's saying?"

"The words to a children's book." Both girls shook their heads.

"It's more than that. Way more," Louise said.

"Max is using it to assess where she is and whether she's safe. By giving a line of the book she may be aware she's safe, but confused why she's restrained, that may be why she didn't react to us." Laura explained.

"It's also telling us she's in her own frame of mind, which is why we should free her," Louise said opening the door and walking over to Max fully intent on undoing the straitjacket. Laura stood in the doorframe blocking Tsunade's entrance. In such a small area it would be ridiculous to use the super strength, she was also certain that any of the girls had found a way to negate it.

"I should fire both of you"

"You could also start a civil war, but you won't," Max said, speaking in Japanese for the first time in a few weeks. She was leaning heavily on Louise, after sitting in the same position for weeks on end her muscles were protesting at supporting her weight. Laura immediately moved to share the weight with Louise.

-

Miles away, Itachi was setting up camp with the escaped empathic girl. Neither of them had said anything, they didn't need to, Itachi could read her body language and she could feel his emotions. At least she wasn't trying to manipulate his emotions again, he'd figured that out and put a stop to it when she had tried. The girl could be powerful as part of a ninja village but she had no intention of joining one. She would wander, her unique ability helping her. She would stay with Itachi for a while longer, until he sorted out his emotions anyway.

--

Please review


	15. Another turning point

So much for slow updates...

May seem shorter than usual but is about the same length, my chapters are never less than 2000 words not including AN's at the beginning and end.

--

~Shout out character for **Suicidal Rose**, may or may not become a reoccurring character~

--

The list of problems went on for Max. After being confined to a white room she was then confined to a hospital bed while she recovered. At the foot of her bed hung a clipboard, all of her visitors had looked at it without fail.

Malnourishment, dehydration, muscle waste, infection from the tube into her stomach, the substance from the needle in her arm was still unknown. Those were only the physical problems, no one quite knew the metal damage done to Max, just like no one knew just what had happened. It wasn't like Max was actually talking to anyone at the moment.

From Max's point of view, she had been stuck in a white room for an unknown period of time. Then one day her two closest friends waltz in along with Tsunade and she's released only to find she's in Konoha. But then it didn't make sense, if they had known she was there, why did they leave her there? Why hadn't they asked about her 'death'?

Hopefully she was going to get some answers. Then she would weave her story, omitting most of the truth. For the moment she sat on her bed staring at the ceiling. After a week in hospital she had been given a choice, stay at the hospital or at her house. She had picked her room, it smelt normal but was still white.

White. The colour of that room.

The absence of colour surrounded her, suffocating, she was back in that room, her movements constricted, restrained like an animal. Phantom pains plagued her, the feeling of the tube that had been in her stomach, the twinge of the needle. Her breathing was quicker now, her heart rate had risen too, she could feel it throbbing in her temple.

Max let out a frustrated growl and rolled off her bed practically diving out of her room into the dark blue hallway. Her breathing evened out as she calmed herself, the whiteness gone. Now composed, she stood up and headed to the shopping district. She needed some paint, her room was not going to remain white.

She managed to avoid anyone who would drag her back to a bed. There were some skills that you just couldn't loose, like riding a bike.

When she returned with the paint she found Laura waiting for her in the living room. They stood in silence for a while, neither quite sure what to say. Not being able to stand the silence Max continued to her room with the paint, picking up a brush and popping off a few lids. She wasn't a conventional artist, she couldn't draw or paint realistically but what she planned on doing didn't matter. At long as there was no white she would be happy.

She loaded the brush with a colour, not caring which and flicked it at the wall in a wide sweeping arc. Red spots littered the wall like blood splatter.

Someone picked that moment to enter. Max supposed she really should activate those traps, it would stop all these intrusions.

"Who are you?" Max asked bluntly, splattering more paint on the wall, she hadn't even looked at the intruder.

"I'm Rose, your new therapist." 'Ah, so they had decided she was nuts,' Max thought. The woman didn't sound patronising like the last one had, that was a good point at least, and she had been clear about her intentions, one of her other therapist had pretended to just accidently keep bumping into her and trying to make conversation. First impressions were important, and Max's first impression of this woman, she was cheery and to the point.

"Are you aware that I drive people insane as part of my job?"

"Yes." Rose hadn't moved, either she was brave or didn't care. It would be interesting to see the out come of these sessions.

"Cool. Just so that's clear. Are you also aware that my work ranges from classified to everyone and their left kneecap knows?"

"Anything you say to me will not be recorded in anyway and I will not repeat unless given permission by you and only you," Rose recited. It was obviously standard procedure for her.

"Good to know, now that we're acquainted I would like to finish painting my room before I go nuts because of it"

"The white hurts?"

"Only when you've been stuck in a white room for what seemed like years"

"Can I help?"

"Pick up a brush and paint anything white"

"Interesting range of colours," Rose commented, all of the open tins were dark colours, the lightest being a medium grey.

"Shut up and paint or get out." Max did not want her choice of colours to be psychoanalysed.

-

It was two hours when they finished, near the end Max had opened another tin, UV paint, and started scrawling stuff over her walls, Rose hadn't been able to see what, not exactly knowing what she was doing. A couple of lines of poetry here, some lyrics there and Max declared her room done. Both women vacated the room to let it dry. Rose did wonder how Max had managed to do all that painting and not have a drop on her.

Laura had gone from earlier, leaving a note about Tsunade wanting to see her ASAP. Had Laura thought this meeting was important, she would have lied on the note or told Max in person.

Max smirked, 'as soon as possible' could be anything up to next week, Tsunade had forgotten the golden rule when dealing with Max, be specific.

"Want something to eat?" Max offered. Rose looked at her a bit confused, she had seen the note.

"Aren't you sup-"

"'Possible' is after I've eaten at least, I haven't had a decent meal in ages, hospital food just doesn't cut it"

"What do you have?" Rose asked.

"Uh, food, maybe…" Max said sheepishly, she hadn't actually checked. "I'll treat you to lunch somewhere"

"Sure, sushi bar, ok?"

"Let's go"

As they walked to the sushi bar Rose couldn't help but ask a question she had been dying to ask since meeting Max.

"Why are you being so nice?"

"You have yet to irritate me." Max said simply, it wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. Rose looked like she was about to say something but stopped.

A while later Rose realised that by being so open Max had managed to keep a lot hidden.

-

It was nearing sundown when Max finally bothered to go see Tsunade. Rose had errands to run so the two women were alone, staring at each other.

"I asked you to be here as soon as possible," Tsunade reprimanded.

"I asked for answers a week ago, neither of us got what we wanted. Do you _have_ answers for me now?" Max asked, her voice was cold, she was tired of these games. She could tell something was being hidden from her, it wasn't just paranoia, things weren't adding up and she wanted to know why.

"It's not that simple-"

"So make it simple, if you want I can seal this room, no one would be able to listen in or observe. I want answers." Tsunade couldn't tell that Max had already done so, sealing the room completely, Max knew something was going to be aired, something that probably shouldn't be common knowledge.

"It not just that I'm worried about-"

"You don't trust me. Do you think I've been compromised, that I'm a liability? Is that why I was stuck in that white room slowly loosing my mind?" Max hissed, her hand subconsciously rubbed her arm where the needle had been.

"You weren't even in that room for more than a day!" Tsunade yelled, finally showing a crack in her calm façade. Max remained calm, now outward sign of victory, not yet, she knew there was more to this story.

"So tell me what happened"

"Someone brought you back, with the state you were in we didn't want to risk it if you had been compromised so we put you in an isolation room"

"We? Who else knew I was there?"

"_I!_ I didn't want to risk it, my duty is to protect the safety of this village." Max didn't believe this 'I' business for a second but the defensiveness said that there was someone else at least, a possible weak link.

"So where was I before?" Max asked, she let some desperation seep into her voice.

"No one knows." Tsunade regretted her choice of words as soon as she said them.

"_Someone_ rescued me, so that someone must know, and if that someone didn't bring me all the way back then the person who did should know. You know. You just aren't telling me, I wonder why," Max said as if she was just musing aloud. She was amazed Tsunade hadn't punched her yet.

"You of all people should know that there are some secrets better left in the dark. You have plenty of your own. I don't suppose you've met a red haired girl before. Green eyes, wore a black jacket and bamboo hat." That was a low blow. Max narrowed her eyes at the blond Hokage.

"Small time thief turned mercenary, I know of her. What has that got to do with anything?" Nothing in Max's words gave any indication that she and Murdock were the same person. Tsunade gave a look of confusion, the wind dropped from her proverbial sails. Max repressed a sigh, she had almost been caught out.

"I just wondered," Tsunade lied.

"Did you think I was her? I was stuck in a white room, Last think I remember before that was being betrayed by a… person." Max really didn't know what to consider Itachi. She wanted to call him a traitor but it hurt so much to think of it.

"So you keep saying. Enough answers for you? I've told you what I know about your situation"

"No, no you haven't, that may well be your downfall"

"Are you threatening me?"

"You of all people should know I have paranoia, I make links that most people don't see. Things seem a little too perfect, slotting into place like a well oiled _plan._ I'm surprised I didn't see this coming. Nothing good ever lasts." Max's voice cracked, she paused to swallow and then continued, no longer looking Tsunade in the eye. "When I came here I was three years old, I wanted someplace to call home, a place I could protect. Konoha became that. I should have expected this though. A Kunoichi is a tool, to be used and manipulated like a puppet without emotions. I never fully managed the 'without emotions'. Now I wish I'd tried harder."

Tsunade couldn't speak, never had anything like this gone so wrong. What scared her more was where Max was going with this.

"I…I don't know what to say"

"I don't care what you say. It wouldn't change anything." Max shushined to crouching on the windowsill, her privacy spells lifted. "I will find out what happened, you've only harmed yourself by not telling me." Max was gone, Tsunade looked out the window, the sun had long since dipped beneath the horizon bathing the village in shadows.

She let her head drop into her hands. How could she fix this without it getting worse. The plan had been flawless, after the betrayal Max was supposed to want to defend her home, possibly even actively take down some of the Akatsuki.

It had all gone wrong though, Max was never supposed to be kidnapped, nor was she supposed to suspect the existence of the plan, even a slight change in behaviour could have blown the whole operation. It was too late for that, it was already half sunk. While it had been doubtful before of a happy ending it looked almost impossible for anyone involved to have even a normal ending.

Max sat in a tree. Her room would be the first place anyone would look, she was supposed to be resting after all. She wondered about Rose, she had seemed like a smart woman but had she figured it out? One day people would realise therapists assigned to her would end up needing their own therapist.

She gazed up at the stars, she was lost, no idea what to do. Never had she felt this betrayed, even after Itachi, sure that had hurt but being used, that cut deeper. One thing was for certain, she no longer had any respect for Tsunade.

Earth sounded nice, if she went missing they would probably check Atlantis first, that's where she went last time, giving her plenty of time to hide on earth, staying here was once again hurting.

Just a few things she needed to do first.

--

Review please

This is the chapter before the start of the crossovers, new and revisited.


	16. Had enough

~Dedicated to a friend on her birthday (9/5/10) the fluff is for you 'cos you love it.

You want to know something irritating, they took out all the line breaks I've ever put in in all of my chapter, so I'm going through redoing chapters, may take a while. Over 100 chapters to go through.

Redone (12/08/11)

* * *

For the next two weeks Max avoided Tsunade, ignoring any summons from the woman, the only reason Max hadn't left the village completely was she couldn't. Not in the state she had been in after the room. After three weeks of physical therapy she was now ready.

She dropped in by Sasuke and Naruto's training ground, Kakashi had joined them in a friendly free-for-all spar. She sat on a branch and watched, she was in no real hurry.

It took a good ten minutes to get noticed when Naruto had been thrown at the branch she was sat in.

"Whatcha doing here?" Naruto asked, panting slightly from the spar. Max was supposed to have physical therapy for at least another week as far as the doctors were concerned. Not that Max was going to take their advice.

"Saying goodbye," Max replied casually. She shocked silence was expected.

"Why?" Naruto demanded, holding her arm as if she was going to disappear right now.

"You asked me to let you know next time I left for a while."

"Why are you leaving?"

"Too many bad memories haunt this place, I need a change of scenery," Max said, telling the full truth would destroy Naruto's trust in Tsunade, she wasn't going to take away anyone he considered family. Except herself, that was different.

"Running away won't help," Kakashi said sombrely.

"I'm not running, just taking a very long, possibly permanent, vacation, some might call it retirement." Kakashi didn't point out they were basically the same thing.

Max walked away in the silence that followed, what more was there to say? She had only gotten a few steps when she felt Naruto tackle her in a hug, only by pure skill did she remain upright though she did feel some of her muscles straining, not fully recovered. Sasuke grudgingly joined the hug in a more controlled and gentle manner, as did Kakashi.

"Please come back soon." Max couldn't reply to that, she had a feeling her voice would crack. She gave them a last hug before shushining home, both Louise and Laura were due to be there. She may have done some tinkering with their work shifts.

It wasn't like she had expected Rose to be there too, It didn't matter, Rose was nice, good at her job, but not good enough to beat Max, not yet anyway. The three girls were sat on the sofa watching reruns of something when Max turned up.

"I'm leaving." That got their attention.

"Tsunade?" Laura was too good at reading people, she had figured out the reason for Max's mood hours after Max's last meeting with Tsunade.

"I can't stay here after what she's done, after what's happened here."

"And you'd prefer to leave than other methods?" Laura asked, Max knew what she meant, but talking about overthrowing the Hokage was a treason offense punishable by death.

"I couldn't do that to Naruto," Max was careful, she wasn't sure exactly where Rose stood.

"Do you know what day it is?" Louise asked. Max clearly hadn't noticed the wrapped object on the table yet.

"Uh, no, I can barely remember what month it is with all the crap I get into."

"September 5th, ring a bell?" Louise said. A light flickered in Max's mind before switching on completely.

"… I'm eighteen, it's my birthday."

"You know what that means?"

"I haven't done anything stupid enough to get myself killed yet."

"Other than that."

"I can legally drink in England."

"Not that either, any other guesses?"

"…No…" Laura and Louise sighed, both pushing the wrapped object towards Max. Max was understandable weary of even letting her hands go near the object, but it didn't smell like any pranks, no gunpowder or jelly, that was a good sign. She picked it up and unwrapped it, a small smile spreading over her face as she recognised the present for what it was. A leather-bound photo album. She didn't need to open it, she knew what was inside. Some of the photos would only depress her more.

"Keep it with you, even if you never open it," Louise ordered, Laura nodding in agreement.

"If you guys ever need help they'll be someone who owes me a favour somewhere."

"Keep safe."

"You guys too"

It was easier to say goodbye to them, they understood her, knowing all of her past did that.

* * *

One more place to go before she could head off to Earth. Suna. She had promised Gaara to tell him next time she planned on disappearing. The journey took longer than usual, Max was going a lot slower, three weeks still wasn't much time to recover, so she was being cautious. There was also the fact she took a teeny detour, she needed to collect her stuff from where she had left it before the room. No one should have noticed it buried under that tree. It was all there, as planned.

However, the meeting with Gaara didn't go as planned. After exchanging greeting Max had told him straight out that she was planning to disappear. Gaara had then announced he'd be taking a sabbatical from Kazekagehood to go travelling with her and had picked up a bag from under his desk and announced he was ready to go.

So now Suna was left in the hopefully capable hands of Temari and Kankurou.

Max and Gaara were on their way to the Stargate. This wasn't all bad, Gaara was a foreign leader so would hopefully have diplomatic immunity and as his 'bodyguard' so would she. That made things so much easier if she got into trouble.

It was a bit more unfortunate when on the way to the Stargate they ran into someone, Deidara.

Last time Gaara saw Deidara they were fighting. Max sighed as she prepared to intervene. She was not having her vacation ruined.

* * *

Tsunade sat at her desk, her head in her hands, paperwork was pile high on her desk. She could hear something from outside her window. Curiously, she walked over and peered out. She could hear music, from the style it was probably from Earth.

"_She sits in her corner, singing herself to sleep, wrapped in all of the promises that no one seems to keep. She no longer cries to herself, no tear left to wash away, just diaries of empty pages, feelings gone astray. But she will sing…_"

On top of the Hokage Mountain, Tsunade could see a silhouette. That was where the singing was coming from. It was too far away to see who it was but the voice was defiantly Laura's.

A male voice joined in, recognisably Sasuke's as another silhouette appeared on the mountain top.

"_Till everything burns, while everyone screams. Burning their lies, burning my dreams. All of this hate, and all of this pain, I'll burn it all down as my anger reigns. Till everything burns..._" All across Konoha people had stopped to listen as the two sung. Laura stepped back for Sasuke's part.

"_Walking through life unnoticed, knowing that no one cares. To consumed in their masquerade, that no one sees her there. And still she sings…_"

Many of the villagers wondered what had brought on the song. Some of the ninja's knew. Tsunade knew. She had underestimated Max and anyone who Max knew. She sat down heavily at her desk, the song finished, it wasn't like she could do anything now. Max had already left, she knew that much.

* * *

Vacation was ruined, not only was Deidara there, someone else turned up. As Deidara and Gaara fought, Max stood facing the person who had betrayed herso deeply.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you," she asked, her voice as cold as her eyes. She could feel the pain in her chest welling up but she forced it down. She wanted to scream, to pound her fists against something until she passed out but she restrained the emotions. She would focus her anger, use it, twist it to her will, it would not control her.

"Why haven't you?" Itachi stepped towards her, noting the lack of movement on her part, he continued to walk towards her. He was slightly confused by the lack of any signs from her, no tensing of muscles of brief facial expressions that might give her away.

"I don't know," Max said almost sadly. She had waited for him to get close enough for her to attack. She had been tempted to try out the little known squirrel style but she wanted to prolong this ass-kicking. "But I can change it now if you'd like." Her mood had completely flipped to almost feral the second he was within range.

The first punch felt good, the way it connected solidly with his jaw sending him spinning to the ground. Itachi rotated his jaw as he stood up, feeling it for any lumps or breaks.

"Are you sure you want to fight me? You did almost die last time," Itachi said arrogantly, deliberately trying to provoke her.

"And you say I'm cocky," Max muttered. She launched another punch, knowing it wouldn't connect, but the foot that followed connected with his chest sending him stumbling back a few steps. She knew he was trying to make her angry, and therefore make mistakes, by not fighting back. That was his problem, Max was going to beat the ever loving shite out of him whether he fought back or not. And to top it off, she would do it without getting angry at him.

"Go home, train more, then maybe you'll have a chance," Itachi sneered, deflecting the next few punches.

"I have no home." That threw him for a loop and allowed a multiple kick combo to his stomach.

"You became a missing nin?" Itachi gasped out having been winded by the final kick clipping his ribcage and forcing the air out of his lungs. He actually sounded genuinely surprised at that.

"More like self imposed exile. Have I screwed up your plans enough or should I continue?" Max grinned, she loved how easily the tables were turning.

"What plan?" Max didn't buy it, there had been hesitation and he had tried to sound innocent, not confused. That and there were too many coincidences for it not to be a plan.

"Itachi, if there is only one thing you've ever learnt about me, it's the fact I know more than I should. Always." Itachi moved out of the way of her next punch, but instead of countering with a jab to her side as he would have, he grabbed both of her wrists and held them above her head to a tree, pinning her to the trunk with his own body. He leant in close, not wanting to be overheard. Max could feel his warm breath on her lips.

It took a lot of self control not to lean into him like she had been so used to doing, it felt so nice to feel his body against hers again. For a few brief seconds she wished they weren't fighting, that nothing had forced them apart, and that she could just lean forward that tiny bit and kiss him again.

"Then you know why I want you to stay in Konoha." Itachi's voice brought her back to reality and her mood switched again, not that he had noticed it switch before.

"Nah, this is me effectively giving you, Tsunade and who ever else was involved the middle finger, no one screws with my life but me." Max flashed a slightly crazy grin as she leant back against the tree, somehow managing to look relaxed as if it was her decision to be in that position.

Itachi seemed to struggle with words, trying to find the ones that would set things on the right tracks. Instead he opted to take some advantage of the position he held over her and try to calm her, pressing light kisses to her jaw and neck until he could find the right words.

"It's not safe."

He regretted his choice of words immediately as he saw Max's eyes harden in anger, the first time she had shown that emotion in this fight. While he had wanted that emotion earlier to cloud her thoughts, he needed her to be thinking clearly.

"It's never safe! I'm a fricking ninja, my _job_ is a fricking safety hazard! It's the job I chose though and I like it. Why does no one seem to get that?" Max hissed. Itachi gripped her wrists tighter staring straight into her mismatched eyes with an emotion Max couldn't identify.

"Funnily enough there are people who care about you, they don't like seeing you looking like some sort of mental patient in the hands of a psychopath." There was some frustration in his voice, probably directed at her.

Then it hit her like a ton of baked clay blocks.

"You did it. You got me out." Max realised, her eyes wide as things connected for her, now she knew why no one would tell her. It also confirmed that Itachi's defection was planned. Had it been real he would have left her where ever she had been or simply killed her.

"I couldn't leave you there." The sentence seemed unfinished like there was more he wanted to say but he stopped. His tone had become gentler and he changed his grip so he held both her wrists with one hand, the other cupping her cheek, his thumb trailing over the soft skin as he willed her to understand.

Max tilted her head forward, their lips almost touching before she quickly withdrew as much as the tree allowed. "But it was your fault that I needed help. You're the one who left me half dead for anyone to stumble across, or did you forget that?" Max asked viciously, she head butted him and yanked her hands out of his grasp, slipping away while he tried to figure out what had just happened.

Gaara and Deidara were fighting a short distance away. Max had had enough distractions; she was going to have her damn vacation. Dodging their exchanged blows she got close to both of them and stopped their next attacks.

How?

She pinched their earlobes. Their attacks were abandoned in favour of trying to get her fingers away from their ears.

"I'm going, if you want to come with me Gaara, then you better be leaving now. I do not give a damn whether you're the Kazekage or if he tried to kill you, I will not let anything else stop me." She released their ears and stalked off in the general direction of the Stargate.

Gaara caught up not long later, he was not going to let her get away that easily.

* * *

The Hakie/Uzumaki living room was fuller than it had been in a while. Laura stood in front of the TV addressing the rest of the room's occupants.

"Friends, neighbours, country men, lend me your ears." Laura's attempt at beginning a speech was met with a rolled up sock to the face, she sincerely hoped it was clean. "Ok, seriously, who thinks that everything's been horribly fecked up?" All hands went up. "Keep you hand's raised if you have an idea on how to fix it." All hands went down except Louise's. "No time travel." Louise's hand went down.

"Ya'know absence makes the heart grow fonder…"

"Absence can also fester negative emotions possibly leading to an unconscious fear of ever returning."

"We're screwed."

* * *

It was a few hours after a red haired girl bumped into Itachi did he realise that his Akatsuki ring was missing. Leader was not going to be happy.

Max stood looking at the event horizon of the Stargate, she could feel the five rings in her pocket. Half was good enough for now. Three, blue, scarlet, void and jewel. None of them could be linked to her.

Max and Gaara sat in the briefing room, waiting. Max had forgone her unusual henges, only using one to cover her tattoos and main scars but still had her mask, Gaara had sealed his gourd into a scroll, both were trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. That mask was there for old times sake.

General Landry walked in followed by Daniel Jackson, he'd had the most contact with them so it only made sense he was there too.

"What brings you here then?" Landry asked looking at both of them.

"Bore-" Max started to answer but was interrupted.

"As the leader of my village it's my duty to visit foreign nations, Wolf here is my personal body guard," Gaara announced in English thanks to Max's temporary translation charm.

"coughVacationcough" Max coughed, not so subtly. She got some looks but it was generally ignored.

"I though Wolf was from a different village," Daniel piped up, pointing out the obvious, it didn't take a genius with the different symbols they wore.

"She's an old friend too, I trust her with my wellbeing and my life," Gaara said, he rubbed his ear which was a bit red. Max tried to look innocent but her mask made it difficult.

"Is there anywhere you had planned on going?"

"Just do what Weir did and send us anywhere that needs help," Max said, a hint of resentment could be heard as she said 'Weir'. "Or we could just road trip. Nice Harley's and we could cruise across the states." She could see Landry trying to hide a smirk.

"Actually there is something that has come to my attention. Over the last few months over twenty marines have died of heart attacks."

"You suspect Kira," Max interjected.

"Too many deaths to be a coincident."

"What about L? He had the lead on that case."

"You're on hand and looking for something to do…"

"Where to then?"

"NCIS in Washington D.C."

"I take it there's some political thing Gaara-sama can be getting on with, I can assure you I can investigate and protect him at the same time." Max guessed, for once using an appropriate honorific.

"He will be considered a visiting foreign leader and will be assigned additional guards. I will hazard a guess that the President will want to meet with him at some point."

"To D.C. then," Gaara said, reminding Max that they were supposed to think he was in charge. To be honest though, he was ready to go with the flow. Where Max went, excitement usually followed.

* * *

Reviews are like hugs, they give me nice warm fuzzy feeling that I love


	17. NCIS: the Death Note chronicles, part 1

I know, it's been like three weeks since my last update. Thats what happens when it gets close to my exams. They start next week and go on for exactly twenty days. Then I have the whole summer mostly free.

__**Also, a general call for any artists out there**, I would really like to see how you picture my OC's, so if you could draw any of them for me and send me a link, I'll post the link on my profile. I know you can't send links via PM so put spaces between the URL.

In return, should you want one I'll give you a shout-out character. (Unless you already have one in which case they get another appearance)

* * *

Last time Max had travelled to D.C. it had been in a normal military transport plane. This time there was luxury, she supposed that was because of Gaara. The comfy seats, personal attendant for Gaara, no waiting time, no noisy kids, definitely better than public flights.

A look over the file Max had been given showed no obvious links, that was probably because the person who had compiled the file didn't know what to look for. When she got to NCIS she was digging up everything on these people o at least getting someone who knew the system to do so.

Gaara was dropped of at their hotel ready to get settled in while Max headed to NCIS, it was early in the morning and she wanted to get started as soon as possible. She did however make a short stop at a bookstore, she did not plan on staying bored at any point.

Looking up at the NCIS building she remembered the last time she had been there, barely a couple of hours writing up her code. After showing the ID she had been issued with at the SGC she was given a temp worker pass and escorted up. With her ID she would have to stick with one official alias but 'contacts' should be good enough for any unofficial legwork.

The bullpen was empty, probably a case, she was a bit disappointed, but she'd probably see them later. She was shown into the Director's waiting area and told to wait by the assistant. With Max's superior hearing she listened to the conversation in the director's office, nothing too interesting, a phone call to someone. Sighing she pulled out one of the books she had bought earlier, _Deep Six_.

About fifteen minutes had passed before she was allowed in. Max recognised the director as Jenny, the second one in the show, after her haircut.

"Sup?" Max said cheerfully. Jenny didn't look too impressed at that. Probably not too impressed at Max's general appearance either, she had at least removed her mask before coming. All three of her tattoos were visible, she had left out her Henge so if things went south she wouldn't have to worry about it failing.

"The specialist I presume." Max nodded, ignoring the body language indicating she should introduce herself. "Do you have a name?"

"Rho. Can I assume you're the Director or what?" Ah to be irritating again.

"I am Director Sheppard." Max idly wondered if she was related to Major Sheppard on Atlantis. But she'd ask later. "I assume you know why you're here"

"Would I be here otherwise? You really don't look impressed, is that because of me?" Max asked, knowing the answer anyway.

"I was expecting someone-"

"Older, more mature, male?" Max interrupted, she may seem rude but she wanted to get on with the case.

"More disciplined"

"You got wha'cha got, so ya gotta make do, I'm the only available person who knows everything about the case," Max shrugged.

"The MRCT has that case, you'll be working with them. They will be taking on other cases too though. However, from what a General Landry just told me, you'll want to be kept busy. If the team doesn't object you may work cases with them"

"Sounds good, do I get to meet them or am I to guess who they are?"

"They should be waiting outside." Jenny picked up her phone and told her assistant to let the team in.

* * *

In the hidden countries a new plot was brewing. A red haired girl who shouldn't be there was sat on the top of the water fall at the Valley of the End. This girl had taken all she could, it would end within the week. She owed it to herself.

Besides, technically it had already happened.

* * *

"Listen up, this is Rho, she _will_ be working with _your_ team for her stint here," the director said, glaring at the people in front of her, daring them to question it.

"We meet again," Max commented looking at the team in front of her, other than growing older and a different woman the team hadn't changed too much. Jenny ushered them out, her job done. Max observed the reactions she got from the team, most looked indifferent at her presence. Ziva, the Mossad liaison officer, looked suspicious of her. Not actually that surprising, Max knew she should tread carefully but she was confident in her abilities.

"We don't need another tech geek," DiNozzo muttered as they left the room, heading back to the bull pen.

"Did someone tell you I'm a tech geek, you should fire them if they did"

"Last time you were here you had a code that tracked someone down, that screams geek to me," DiNozzo pointed out.

"Appearances can be, and are frequently, deceptive." Max noticed Ziva looking intently at her, Ziva probably figured out she was dangerous by now.

"So what can you do?" Gibbs asked. Max frowned, that was a good point, what _couldn't_ she do.

"Anything." The looks she got were obviously of disbelief. "Seriously, though most of it I'm not supposed to show people, classified and all that jazz"

"You can't legally drink." McGee pointed out. Max smirked, she loved loopholes.

"Can in Europe and as of a few days ago that included England"

"What do you know about the case?" Gibbs said, it wasn't exactly a question despite its wording. The others had sat at their desks and were doing some sort of work.

"Marines dying of heart attacks, frequently, makes the whole deal suspicious"

"And what can you add to that"

"I may know what the weapon is." The look Gibbs gave her implied she should elaborate. "Until you need to know, I can't say, classified and all that jazz." Gibbs let out a frustrated growl, possibly because Max had just repeated herself.

"What can you do to help this case?"

"Advise you on how to deal with potential suspects so not to be killed"

"Anything that could help identify the killer?"

"I can safely say it could be just about any one-"

"Not helpful"

"-But, jeez, let me finish, the time of death is important, depending on how well acquainted the murderer is with the weapon at least"

"We've already pulled surveillance from around some of the victims at the time of death. No common places, people or food," McGee said looking up from his computer.

"Wow this is harder than I thought, I hate classified stuff. The time of death is important, it doesn't matter if anyone was near by, just try to find a pattern in the times of death"

Max heard an elevator ping behind her and quick footsteps approaching, a glance at a reflective surface told her it was the resident lab tech, Abby.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs. Is the specialist here yet?" Max estimated Abby had consumed at least one caf-pow already.

"I assume you mean me"

"Rho! You're the specialist for the heart attacks case? Cus' you know it's really similar to this one case in Japan-"

"I know, I'm here because of the similarities"

"You worked the Kira case!"

"Kira case?" McGee asked, looking up at them in interest. Max had a feeling that at least Abby and McGee had followed the case.

"Yes the Kira case, I only worked it near the end after Kira managed to escape custody, but I have read the case files and have access to someone who personally did"

"Why aren't they here then?" Gibbs asked.

"Most of my team went underground a while after Kira, along with a lot of Yuri's people. I'm currently the only one of Yuri's 'subordinates' currently mingling with society. You're stuck with me"

"So who was Kira?" Abby asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you out of respect for the family, sorry"

"Uh, boss, the times of death, normally between six and half six in the morning and a few between four pm and six pm"

"Sounds a bit like a school time table, possibly with something after school like tennis or something." It reminded Max a bit too much like Kira.

"You think the killer is a school kid, killing marines"

"It's not a conventional weapon, it's like an assassins dream as it doesn't leave any trace or physical evidence, that's what makes it so dangerous"

"That's impossible, that kind of technology would be closely guarded." Max made a frustrated noise.

"This is getting us no where," Max sighed. "Is there anywhere you can guarantee we won't be overheard? I'm gonna read you in on the weapon"

"I thought it was classified"

"By Yuri, she's given us the authorization to tell anyone who needs to know. I deem you guys as needing to know, if only so I can keep my sanity during this case"

"I'd suggest the medical examiner knows as well." Max shrugged, it would probably be a good idea. Gibbs beckoned her to follow him and as an after thought the rest of the team including Abby. Max had half expected him to use the elevator as a conference room but the M.E. was likely to be in autopsy.

She was right, the cold, white and metal room, she shivered unconsciously, an action not unnoticed by some of the team. On one of the gurneys lay a man, his chest cut open for the autopsy. The sight actually calmed her nerves, the colour breaking the sterile feeling.

"Ah, Gibbs, I haven't quite finished the autopsy but C.O.D. seems to be the same," the M.E. said still inspecting the hole in the dead guys chest, he turned and noticed the rest of the team and Max.

"Hello, you must be the expert, Doctor Mallard but you can call me Ducky," Ducky held out his hand which Max took to shake.

"I'm Rho."

"Pleasure to meet you, so what brings you all down here?"

"I feel you need to know what weapon is being used, trying to solve this case without that knowledge is very difficult as found out in the original case"

"So what weapon can do this?" Ducky asked gesturing to the body.

"You'll need an open mind to accept this, and I mean really open. It's a book" Max said, nothing in the way she was stood or in her expression suggested it was a joke.

"A book…"

"Notebook to be more exact, write someone's name in it while visualising their face and they die forty seconds later of a heart attack"

"Seriously?" DiNozzo asked.

"Yes"

"How does it work?" Abby asked, Max frowned she'd just explained.

"Someone writes-"

"I meant the technology"

"Don't know, everyone on the case agreed that the knowledge was too dangerous and after the case was solved the book was destroyed. It now seems there were more then one in existence"

"Back to work then"

"I kinda need to visit the bathroom," Max said sheepishly.

"I will escort her," Ziva said, the first time Max had heard her speak. From the suspicious looks she had been receiving from Ziva she knew she was going to be questioned. Unless she asked questions first.

"Where are you from? I've never come across your accent," Max asked, letting some of her childlike curiosity colour her voice.

"Israel"

"Is it nice there?" Max somehow managed to keep this up her entire trip to the bathroom. It was only after she'd washed her hands and gone to exit the bathroom Ziva had blocked the way.

"What are your intentions here?" Ziva asked coldly.

"Huh?"

"I can see it in the way you hold yourself, you are an assassin. Why are you here?" Max figured there was absolutely no point denying the assassin statement, but why was it so hard to believe she was here to help?

"Former assassin. I'm here to destroy the weapon by any means necessary, that's it." Ziva narrowed her eyes, she hadn't expected Max to admit to being an assassin.

"I will be watching"

"Watch away, I'm not here to kill anyone. They would be dead already if I had." Ziva moved out of the way letting them both leave the bathroom but not before giving her a warning look.

* * *

Abby had presumably gone back to her lab while the others were back to work. Max wasn't sure exactly what she was supposed to do. She was saved from too much wondering when her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID she moved to a more secluded area before answering it, not unaware of the eyes following her movements.

"_Yes Gaara_?" she answered in Japanese.

"_I'm bored_"

"_Seriously Gaara, you've been here for less than six hours, suck it up and find something to do_"

"_Like what_?"

"_Something that I won't have to clean up later, go shopping or… you know, I have no idea what else you could do, but that's your problem. _Have fun," Max said cheerily ending the call in English, she knew Gaara understood bits of English.

"Little brother?" A voice behind Max asked, she turned and saw DiNozzo.

"Not quite." 'Not even close' Max thought, the less they knew though was the best.

"McGee found something, you might want to see this"

'This' turned out to be a link, most of the marines had attended either the same high school or same basic training group as one guy. Said guy had commit suicide a month ago.

Said guy had also had son, sixteen, living with the mother, who worked as a paramedic, in DC.

"DiNozzo, you're with me," Gibbs ordered grabbing his gun. Max went to follow but was met with a glare. "What makes you think you're going?"

"I'm not, but neither are you, did you completely ignore my explanation of the weapon? If the suspect knows NCIS is investigating them then their attention will be changed to us, meaning you'll all be at risk." Max wasn't sure if anyone had realised she had excluded herself from the 'at risk' group.

"Do you even have any proof of this weapon? Oh, wait, it was destroyed." DiNozzo asked sarcastically. Max clenched her fists mentally repeated a mantra to keep herself calm and collected. This was so just infuriating, the first death note had been destroyed and she didn't want to reveal her own. Then she remembered something, she'd had to convince L somehow in the original case. The video. Hopefully L still had it around. If not then maybe Laura did.

* * *

A dead body lay at the red haired girl's feet. Her cold eyes inspecting it, making sure it was actually dead. A glint caught her eye, she smirked and crouched to get a clearer look. Her smirk grew, she removed the ring from the charred hand, peeling of the burnt human skin that stuck to the metal.

Her job here was done but she still had more work to do. She left the newly made clearing, a couple of blackened branched still burning in her wake.

* * *

The video was very sobering to the team. Max hated watching it, no matter how fake it had been she wondered what would have happened if they had been real people. All the faces had been pixelated for anonymity. An 'L' in gothic script was present on McGee's monitor, L had wanted to personally confirm the video's authenticity, Psi's sacrifice had affected him despite the fact he would never show it. Unfortunately he had a case so couldn't help full time.

"So what should we do?" Gibbs asked, relenting control of the case, temporarily anyway. He was still sceptical of her abilities but this was a bit out of his depth.

"I was thinking undercover op," Max said, her mind was running though possible scenarios she could stage.

"Our suspect is sixteen, none of us have a reason to be even close except as a teacher but that would take to long to set up"

"I have an idea," Max grinned.

"Care to share?"

* * *

The next chapter is done, I'll probably post it during my exams so you don't have to wait so long between updates

Please review


	18. NCIS: the Death Note chronicles, part 2

Two exams down, three to go. Next update will probably be on the 18th June, when my next exams, are so I'll be updating after them.

Another call for artists, just in case you managed to miss that last few calls. Pleeease.

* * *

A car sped down a street, weaving across a road in the suburbs, showing no sign of slowing down. Max sat behind the wheel panicking, stomping hard on the brakes having tried the hand brake. It was just after school so kids were on the roads, she had noticed some kids watching her car on its out of control journey.

She couldn't help but be slightly disappointed that their first reaction was to get out a phone and start recording it. It would probably be on the internet by the time she stopped.

She swerved left down a cul-de-sac only just realising there was no way out when it was to late. She pulled the wheel to the side sending the car into a spin robbing it of its momentum and leading it to an eventual stop.

Max got out of the car panting, her head was bleeding slightly from where she had hit it sending the car into it spin. The bonnet of the car was steaming slightly and black tire marks littered the road from her stunt, the smell of burnt rubber was very distinct. She took a few shaky steps before collapsing, the adrenaline rush gone, the leather jacket she wore padded her skin from the cold, rough asphalt. She didn't have to wait long before she heard a door open and footsteps rushing towards her.

The person was calling at her trying to get a response. Max feebly waved a sleeved arm before letting it drop back onto the hard ground. A blond woman came into her field of vision and she could feel her pulse being taken.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Anna, Anna DiNozzo"

* * *

Back at NCIS the team were waiting for the call. They had all been sceptical of Max's plan but it was all they had. It had been twenty minutes since Max had left, the GPS tracker in her car showed that she had arrived. It was now down to how well she could sell her act, considering she had sold the plan to the director they were sure she could pull this off.

The cellphone sitting on DiNozzo's desk rung and he pounced on it answering in his usual suave way. He listened to the caller, the smirk on his face telling the rest of the team it was the call they had been expecting.

"Is my sister ok?" Pause. "Where?" Another pause. "I'll be on my way." The phone clicked as he flipped it shut and grabbed his gear. "Looks like this show's on the road."

* * *

Max was sat in the blond woman's living room sipping hot chocolate, three stitches in the cut on her head. The woman had introduced herself as Natalie Kepp. Max had internally smirked, this was the mother of her suspect. Max had refused to say much more than her name and her version of the events until her 'brother' turned up. Both women's heads turned at the sound of a door opening.

"Mom, I'm home." Max got her first real look of her suspect as he walked in, slinging his bag under the table by the door. "Some idiot's left their car in the middle of the street." The kid stopped mid step when he noticed Max. "Who's she?"

If Max hadn't been undercover she would have been laughing at the situation the kid had gotten into. His mother dragged him into another room to lightly scold him about being rude, with Max's super hearing she could hear every word.

She used this opportunity to sneak an invisible clone upstairs to check the kid's room. Natalie had been keeping a close eye on her until now so this was the first chance Max had gotten to look around, and using the clone meant she couldn't be caught, it was invisible just in case the kid was paranoid and left his web cam, or similar, on and recording. It was what she would do.

The first thing her clone noticed was the death god floating above the bed. Why it wasn't with the kid Max had no idea. It at least confirmed her suspicions.

Natalie returned to the living room just in time for a knock at the door. After opening it and confirming who it was, she showed DiNozzo in, to which Max reacted as a normal kid would in her situation. She put down her hot chocolate and launched herself at DiNozzo, hugging him like a frightened child. He returned the hug, a hand rubbing her back while the other smoothing her hair.

"I was so scared Tony, my brakes just wouldn't work. I thought I was going to die," she sobbed, her body shaking slightly but noticeably.

"How is she?" DiNozzo asked Natalie, he couldn't help but be impressed by Rho's acting skill. The woman genuinely seemed to like Rho, even after such a short meeting that took skill. And the way Rho had reacted, he'd almost believed she'd been in an actual accident.

"I put three stitches in her forehead, I work as a paramedic, a couple of bruises, no signs of a concussion but keep an eye on her anyway. She may be a bit shaken up from her experience but she'll be fine. A tow truck's on its way for the car, you can wait here until it turns up."

Some how it ended up with Tony and Natalie talking in the kitchen while the kid, Jason, had been told to keep an eye on Max as she went back to staring into space, still not recovered from the trauma according to Natalie. Actually she was watching Ryuk, Jason's death god. Jason had taken to glaring at her. Until he noticed something that piqued his interest.

"Is that a tattoo?" he asked, some awe in his voice, moving to poke the mark on her neck. Max blinked as she fell back to reality with the kid standing way too close. She grabbed his wrist before he could make contact.

"Don't touch," she released his wrist and rubbed the mark on her neck, the memories associated with it were never good.

"I want to get a tattoo but my mom told me I can't until I'm older."

"For a good reason." Both teens turned to see Natalie in the doorway, her arms folded, Tony was hovering behind her. "Tow truck's been delayed by an accident so I was going to order pizza, that ok?" the teens nodded. Natalie was just happy Max was still reacting to outside stimuli. "Why don't you two play video games upstairs or something?" Jason turned bright red at the 'or something' suggestion. It took Max a while to catch on at the assumption Jason had made.

* * *

The two teens eventually did move to Jason's room if only to get away from the adults. It was painfully obvious Jason didn't get many girls in his room. She did notice Jason subtly shift a familiar black book under a pile of magazines which he then hastily tried to hide.

"So, got any other tattoos?" he asked, trying to distract her from what he was doing.

"Yes, but you don't get to see them." Max's clone 'accidentally' bumped into where the pile of magazines had been placed, somehow making the whole thing took natural as they slipped all over the floor. Max sighed and crouched down to help, and moved the magazine covering the death note. She smirked, reaching into her pocket she took out some rubber gloves, putting them on so she couldn't contaminate any evidence on the book.

"Don't touch tha-" It was too late Max had the book open and was thumbing through the pages. He made a grab for it but Max kept it out of reach.

"I never twigged you for a killer, but I suppose it's not always obvious."

"What?"

"I guess you're still new to using this or you wouldn't have been noticed. I bet Ryuk didn't tell you many of the rules, just for the hell of it really."

"How-?"

"Me and Ryuk go way back. Why'd ya kill them? I mean Kira wanted to cleanse the world of all evil, you must have a reason."

"I didn't kill them, you can't prove it."

"Wanna bet?" Max smirked. "I worked the Kira case, we have proof that this isn't an ordinary book." The door to Jason's room was swung open, Natalie looked at her son, not wanting to believe it. Tony stood in the background holding the pizza.

"Is this true Jase?"

"She's delusional mom, I wouldn't kill anyone."

"Really, cuz' this is too much information to be a coincident." She flipped the book for the adults to see. "These are all navy personal who've died in the last two months, not all of these were released to the public. He shouldn't know these."

"He needs to come with us, we can get this sorted out at NCIS," Tony said. Max half expected hysterical yelling from either of the Kepp's but they both seemed resigned to it, probably the shock of everything.

* * *

Max stood in the observation room, on the other side of the glass sat Jason with Ryuk floating behind. His mother was sat next to Jason, holding his hand as silent moral support.

"How can you be sure it wasn't planted?" DiNozzo asked. Max flinched slightly, she hadn't actually noticed him enter the dark room. She had been too focused of watching Jason, mentally noting his body language.

The door to the interrogation room opened and Gibbs entered, a pile of folders under one arm with the Death Note sealed in an evidence bag on top of the pile. He placed them on the table, separating the folders into a line with plenty of space between them. He then picked up the evidence bag with the death note and made a deal of examining it.

"If you have nothing to ask my son then let us go," Natalie said, her voice sounded forced. Max almost felt bad, Natalie seemed to really care about her son, she supposed after her husband's death she wanted to make sure her son wouldn't go the same way.

"I have many questions. The first being why he killed these men" Gibbs said, with that he opened each of the folders, on top of the paper inside was the facial shot from when they were autopsied.

"How could he have killed them? All you have is a record of the deaths in that book"

"It's not an ordinary book, Jason knows that, but so do I, I know what it does. Have you heard of the Kira case Mrs Kepp?"

"Of course."

"Kira used the same weapon. So using what you know of the Kira case do you really believe you're son couldn't do this?" Gibbs said gesturing at the photos.

"It's not mine, I don't own it." Jason said, stressed. Max growled from where she watched. Ryuk had just shrugged and floated off. DiNozzo gave her a funny look but quickly looked back at the interrogation room when he heard a thump. Jason had just passed out.

"I'll kill the bugger," Max fumed. She left the room and stormed into the interrogation room. "Has Abby collected all the evidence she can from that thing?" Max asked pointing to the death note. Gibbs nodded just as Jason began to wake up. Max donned a pair of latex gloves and took the death note from the evidence bag.

"What just-" Jason sat up looking around.

*Smack*

Max slapped Jason with the Death note making him the owner again and letting him regain his memories. A confused Ryuk entered the room seconds later.

"Try that again, I dare you," she hissed. Replacing the death note in the evidence bag she left the room without another word.

"What just happened?" Natalie asked.

"My agent got very annoyed with your son, she lost someone to Kira and is adamant that it doesn't happen again"

"I don't ow-" Jason started. Max barged into the room and stomped over to Jason and held her fist menacingly in his face.

"Want to finish that sentence?" Max threatened. She wasn't sure how many rules he knew, but if he knew about the one detailing how you could only regain your memories of a death note six time. Well that would make everything infinity more difficult. "Are you going to try anything funny?" Max asked.

"You still can't prove it," Jason said, much to his mother's dismay.

"Oh, really? What makes you so sure?" Max turned to the mirror and nodded at it. She'd asked the technician to load the tape from the Kira case before the interrogation and agreed on that signal.

The screen opposite the door flickered on, the familiar scene playing for most of the occupants of the room to see. Max had looked away, she disliked watching the clip.

"That clip's from the Kira case, I know because I was there. The book in that clip is the same as the one your son has, the handwriting matches his, we even have a fecking motive. This interview is only happening to see if you can explain any of it."

"Why, Jason?" Natalie was in tears.

"It was their fault mom, they killed dad." Max hid a smirk, a confession.

* * *

It didn't take too long to wrap up the case, it had to be treated specially because of the abnormal circumstances. The paperwork was a nightmare. It was really irritating that she couldn't wipe their memories, they hadn't touched it and it was morally wrong, not to mention the case had to be covered up by someone. At least she had the death note, Ryuk was now following her around demanding apples, but she could deal with that.

Despite the case being finished Max still had a week left of her employment at NCIS, no one had expected her to solve it so quickly. She returned to the bull pen after discussing things with Director Sheppard.

"You're staying?" DiNozzo asked.

"I was hired for a week, might as well stay and observe how you solve normal crimes for the rest of that time."

"Does that include the sexual harassment lecture tomorrow?"

"The what?" Max was not reassured by the grin on DiNozzo's face.

* * *

The end of the day finally arrived and Max returned to the hotel suite she and Gaara shared. She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad sign that it was still clean.

It was also void of a certain Kazekage. Max rubbed the bridge of her nose, this was troublesome. She sat on the floor in a meditative pose, she had a clone with him but it was on autopilot so she needed to extend her senses to find it again.

She found it wandering around a college campus, a quick search through the clones memories showed that Gaara was interested in the environment in which kids learned stuff. Sighing Max left the hotel to track him down, jumping from roof to roof faster than the normal eye could see. She wanted a vehicle, but with all the travel she did it would be irritating to take with her.

Being back in a school environment gave Max the shivers. Some cheerleaders were practicing on the grass as she made a beeline for Gaara's location. She couldn't help but hope one of them would slip, life was getting to boring and a cheerleader falling would make her day that bit brighter.

"Keep walking loser." Ah, she'd been noticed then.

"I was just wondering if you've gained weight, looking a bit chubby, not pleasant to watch but it's like a train wreck, I can't look away." That was her daily quota of 'insult someone' sorted. The cheerleaders started gasping and looking down at their stomachs feeling it for any fat, the disruption in balance cause the whole formation to topple. "I can't believe that actually worked," she muttered and continued on her way, only to have someone fall into step with her.

"That was pretty cool, you've just turned them all more anorexic than usual."

"All in a days work, you wouldn't happen to know the quickest route to the library?"

"Just heading there. I'm Sarah McGee, you new here?"

"I really should have seen that coming," Max mumbled. "Rho, that's the only name I'll answer to at the moment." The two girls chatted on the way to the library, mostly about skanky cheerleaders.

Once at the library it was easy enough to find Gaara, just look for the guys in black suits packing heat.

"Whoa, someone's popular," Sarah commented looking over they guys.

"It's not like he actually needs the protection," Max muttered.

"You know him?"

"Yup, I probably should start my shift as bodyguard. Nice meeting you." Max left the girl in a state of confusion and took her place as part of Gaara's protection detail.

"_You had to pick a school_," she grumbled in Japanese for his benefit.

"_I was bored_"

"_You could have been bored somewhere else, like an arcade,_" Max whined, she picked a book at random and opened it at a random page. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Nice.

* * *

Reviews are looked on with much appreciation.


	19. NCIS: The sexual harassment lecture

Two more exams out of the way, only Physics left, I may update between now and then though.

Most of the first part of this chapter is taken directly from an episode so I don't take credit for the awesomeness of it just Max's part.

Also look out for the tv show/cartoon reference.

* * *

Max sat at a table zoning out of the lecture, she wasn't even a proper employee so didn't actually have to attend, but she did get to screw with the woman's head.

"…And yellow light behaviour is border line, such as hugging." The woman was interrupted by Abby standing, hand raise in the air.

"What's wrong with hugging, I hug people all the time." Abby asked, hurt obvious in her voice.

"You may see it as friendly but your co-workers may find it offensive."

"You guys get offended when I hug you?" Abby asked looking around the room with her black rimmed eyes, everyone reverently denied offense. "Then I'm hugging you all in my mind right now."

"DOD policy is very clear about this point miss."

"This sucks," Max commented tilting her chair onto its back two legs. "You'd think they'd object if someone tried to hug them I mean these people are trained in at least self defense."

"The DOD is ve-"

"I know, you said," Max grumbled, she lent forward in her chair bringing it to all four feet on the ground. she then got up and moved a few inches over to hug the person in the seat next to her, Tony.

Tony gave her a weird look but didn't protest. Max then turned to the lecturer. "So, what, am I fired now?" she asked. "The lecturer woman gave her an evil glare but moved on.

"You've made your point. Finally there is red light behaviour which is deliberate, unwelcome touching," the woman continued, stressing the last three words, Ziva leaned forward in her chair and licked Tony's ear causing him to cry out in surprise and stand up, gaining the lady's attention. "Another question?"

"What about if you slap someone in the back of the head like this?" he asked, slapping the back of McGee's head like Gibbs had done so many times to the team. This caused McGee to slap back at groin level, which naturally lead to a stifled groan of pain. "Would that be considered inappropriate?"

Max couldn't help but snigger.

"Do you find something funny about that question miss?" the woman asked.

"Not really, I was just imagining what everyone would prefer to be doing other than sitting here."

"Care to share?"

"No I would not, and I find that comment highly offensive. Trying to delve into my personal thoughts should be considered sexual harassment. Maybe you need a mascot, something to make a catchy name. How about a panda, the Sexual Harassment Panda has a nice ring to it. I mean panda's are cute and fluffy which makes them eye catching so people will remember it-"

"Is there a point?"

"What do you think?" Max asked catching the woman's eye and glaring her down.

"I have a question," Palmer, Ducky's assistant, said with his hand raised.

"Yeees." The woman really hoped this wouldn't go off topic.

"What about if your job includes touching naked people and -"

"That is inappropriate at any time!"

"Even if their dead?"

"Why are you touching dead, naked people!"

"Uh, excuse me, Bitch lady," Max called out. "What exactly do you think we do with dead bodies? Just leave them lying around hoping to gain knowledge just by looking at them? No, we autopsy them, where they are both dead and naked. Some people have to do that job. We're just lucky they can actually do their job unlike some certain person-"

"Rho!" Director Sheppard called in a warning tone, it wasn't that she minded the distraction but the lecturer was turning red, even with her dark skin.

"Hey, I shouldn't even be here, I'm working here for a week. Hell I have diplomatic immunity, you couldn't to squat to me no matter how much you may want to."

"You have diplomatic immunity? Like in Lethal Weapon 2?" DiNozzo asked.

"Side effect of my job," Max shrugged. She heard Gibb's cell ring and knew her time was up, it was probably a case that naturally required their immediate attention.

"Let's go kids"

I can't mark you as attending unless you stay for the whole session."

"Uh, Ms Taylor, I'll make excellent notes for them," Director Sheppard offered.

"I can't believe you'd want to prevent us from investigating a murder of your countries finest," Max tutted as they left the room. Only Ziva picked up on the fact she had said 'your' not 'our' but she didn't point it out.

* * *

Max glanced over the bull pen, everything was a bit too quiet especially after the sexual harassment lecture and subsequent case about an AI car. She figured that any second Gibbs would tell them about a new case. If he didn't, then she would go insane.

Her week was half up at NCIS, she would miss all the excitement that came with the job. As she leant back in the tiny cubicle space next to McGee's desk she pulled out _Deep Six_ and picked up where she had left off, not noticeably acknowledging McGee's panicked look at her choice in book.

Max registered the lift arriving on that floor, something felt weird but she ignored it.

"And this is where the teams work on their cases when not out in the field. This is the Major Case Response Team, they take the high priority cases." Max heard the director explain, it was only when it was translated into Japanese Max looked up and groaned at seeing who was with the director.

"_Hey Gaara,_" she called across the bull pen, drawing all eyes onto her.

"_It's not a school,_" Gaara said answering Max's unasked question to why he was there.

"You two know each other?" Director Sheppard asked.

"Do you want the sarcastic answer or are you going to use some common sense? I called him, by name, so I may just about know him."

"We need to go, some kid's holding a class hostage with a bomb strapped to his chest," Gibbs said grabbing his stuff.

"_Sorry Gaara, I need to go, see you later,_" Max gave him a quick one armed hug as she passed before joining the rest of the team in the lift.

* * *

The red haired girl nudged an unconscious body with a booted foot. The blue skinned lump didn't move, the shark skin sword was out of its reach. Also not far away was a dark haired man, also unconscious. The girl crouched by the blue skinned man and pulled a ring off his finger, holding it up to the light to see it glimmer. Smirking she put it in her pocket, using chakra to seal it would make obvious she was a ninja, currently she was just a small time thief/mercenary. Three left to track down.

* * *

As the NCIS agents set up camp in a room in the school, Max decided to take a walk around the building, specifically outside the classroom with the kids in. From her unnoticed vantage point she could see most of the classroom, she instinctively noted any details, how many people there were, rough where about of them. Then she focused on the kid with the bomb, something caught her eye.

"This kid's wired for sound," she said into her radio head set. "There's a mic wire under his shirt."

"How do you know it's a mic wire, it could just be part of the bomb."

"Position is wrong for it, single wire going to just below the collar of his t-shirt. Could be an antenna for the bomb I suppose but then why does he have the switch wired up too?"

"Can you get closer to confirm your suspicions?"

"Negative." Not without showing she could become invisibleish any way.

"Return to base camp"

* * *

Max was sourly disappointed that Gibbs got to go into the classroom. She had managed to slip in an invisible clone with him just in case. The team tried to trace the signal from the earwig the boy also had, common sense suggested he would have both. Max had suggested hacking into the webcams on the computers located at the back of the classroom.

Having watched the episode, she knew exactly how it would go down. She'd only remembered it because it was quite a bit different from most episodes. It was not cheating, not in her eyes.

Max did kind of regret giving hints, the case became so short they were back to NCIS base before sundown.

Now she was sitting at her temporary desk back to reading her book, her feet resting on the desk as usual. She had decided to ask McGee to autograph it just before she left on her last day. It would cause the most entertainment factor without hanging around to get moaned at.

A shadow fell over her, she glanced up to see DiNozzo standing over her.

"Who are you? And don't bother saying Rho or whatever cover ID you can come up with, what kind of eighteen year old has diplomatic immunity? And what was with that guy who was getting a tour of this place?"

"All that information is sadly classified"

"You aren't one of those genius kids are you?"

"Genius isn't the first word most people use to describe me," Max said dryly. DiNozzo was interrupted from saying much more when Director Sheppard arrived with Gaara and the translator. "'Sup?"

"Gaara-dono has finished his tour and wishes to wait until you are ready to leave before returning to your hotel suite," Jenny explained. Max nodded and Jenny and the translator left leaving Gaara standing by her raised feet.

"I didn't realise you two were, uh... together."

"We're not. _How's your English Gaara_?" Max really didn't want Gaara to try to embarrass her by pretending they were involved. On the other hand she also didn't want Gaara to kill DiNozzo for even insinuating it. She wasn't sure which Gaara would pick, and to be honest she could live without knowing.

"_Still learning it, why?_"

"_No reason._ Don't you have a report to be doing DiNozzo?"

"It's not going anywhere." Max smirked at DiNozzo, Gibbs having walked up behind him. "Gibbs is behind me, isn't he?" Max nodded, still smirking. "I'm on it boss." DiNozzo said heading back to his desk to at least look like he was working.

"If you don't have anything to do…" Gibbs started, looking at her relaxed position.

"I think I'll visit Abby, she wanted to talk to me about something. _Gaara, I'm going to see someone, you want to come with_?" Gaara shrugged which Max took as agreement and they went to the lift.

Abby wasn't that busy in her lab, she certainly didn't mind the intrusion, if only to question Max on the death note. She'd also briefly met Gaara on his tour and was delighted to get to learn more about him.

* * *

The red haired girl was on the run, she had obtained two more rings but had been noticed. Now she was fleeing for her life from the rain village, two enraged ninjas on her tail. She dodged a few long range attacks, zigzagging her paths in the most random pattern she could manage. It wasn't too long before she hit a water line in the land of rivers perfect place to disappear. A slight turn on her heel and she disappeared with a small pop, barely registering as a sound over the moving current.

That was four down, one left, the girl thought to herself as she walked out of a bar's restroom in Iwa.

* * *

Max just knew once her week at NCIS was up she was going to be bored. She liked the high octane life of the agents. It was why she had become a ninja, but that wasn't an option at the moment.

It was her second last day of employment there and they were running after a suspect through and apartment block, ninja speed was hard to use in buildings, especially ones with loads of doors. They had only gone to ask the suspect some questions, none of them had been expecting him to pull a gun and run.

A shot was heard sending the agents diving for cover. Max moved forward, she had been able to tell where the shot went and knew it wouldn't hit her. She reached the door where the suspect had ducked into. DiNozzo quickly joined her, on his Gibb's nod DiNozzo kicked open the door, none of them questioning where Max had gotten her gun as she and DiNozzo swept the room.

A gust of wind alerted them to the open window, wind blowing the curtain around obscuring their vision. Another gunshot rang out. Time seemed to slow down for Max, adrenaline pumping through her system, pivoting on the balls of her foot she spun into the path of the bullet that was headed for DiNozzo.

She felt the metal impact her shoulder, getting trapped between the dense chakra enhanced muscles and probably cracking the shoulder bone, the pain dulled by the adrenaline. She had a good few minutes until she crashed from the pain. She was going to make those count. No one shot at her friends.

Turning to face the window she took a running dive. As she sailed through the threshold she took hold of the railing of the fire escape and swung herself down to where the shooter had managed to climb down to.

Both shooter and ninja hit the window smashing through it to a thankfully empty apartment. Max pinned the man while he was still dazed from the impact then checked to make sure he was still alive. No life threatening injuries, yet.

Max felt up to where the bullet had pierced, feeling the blood dripping from it. Numerous other cut littered her arms and face from shattered glass.

"NCIS!" There was a loud bang as the door was kicked down, the team had arrived.

"Rho? You ok?" the voice sounded fuzzy, like a badly tuned radio.

"I'm good," she said feeling slightly dopey, the pain would kick in within a minute so she crawled off the man and slumped up against a cabinet. Her vision was going dark and she just wanted to sleep now. Her last thoughts before losing consciousness were about how Gaara was not going to let her leave his sight.

* * *

Please review, I love reading your thoughts on my work.


	20. Miami: Sun, Sea and Something going down

Yes, it's early. No, I haven't finished my exams. Yes, I have done more writing than revision

* * *

Max was understandably freaked out when she woke up. She was in a sterile white room, a needle stuck into her arm and not in her own clothes. Her eyes scanned the room, calming down when she recognised the room as part of a hospital on Earth. The events that lead up to being here began showing themselves in her minds eye. She grimaced as she felt the bandages around her shoulder. The bullet was gone, she could feel that much even with the anaesthetic, which was wearing off due to her fast metabolism.

The emptiness of the room was bothering her. A glance at the window showed it was about 6:30 am. The tiniest cracks of light peeping over the horizon as the sun rose. Max searched for the nurse call button, she was already bored and being stuck in this room was not helping. She found it and pressed it, holding it down for a few second just for good measure.

While she waited she took a better inventory of herself, she could feel everything now that the pain killers had worn off. Her metabolism always sped up when she was awake. The bullet wound ached more than anything assuming she didn't move it too much. She could feel a couple of small scabs on her face from the glass. Sitting up to prod the rest of her self she found nothing else was in anyway hurt.

"You're awake?" Max looked up to see a nurse poking her head through the door.

"… why do people ask that when it's obvious?"

"I'm sorry it's just, the anaesthetic should have kept you asleep for a few more hours"

"And you can see how well that worked. Can I get out of here?" Max asked. The nurse gave her a look of disbelief.

"You were shot yesterday. You're lucky it didn't do much damage"

"That wasn't luck, you may have noticed this is not the first time I've been shot"

"Ah, yes, the doctor wants to talk to you about that, as do your work colleagues who are on their way"

"Thanks for the heads up. Can I have my stuff back?"

"After the doctors seen you. I'm not naive, I know your kind, run the second my back is turned," the nurse said smirking, not unkindly but in a knowing way.

"Can I at least make a call, I need to talk to someone."

"I'll see what I can do, just stay here and rest."

"What have I been doing since yesterday exactly?" Max grumbled slumping back in her bed.

A few boring minutes passed like hours to Max before her next visitor.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Brad Pitt, and before you ask, no, not the actor." Max really tried to smile at the joke but she just couldn't. It was that bad and she really wasn't in the mood.

"So, what's up Doc?"

"You apparently, you were given enough anaesthetic to keep you under until at least this afternoon, yet here you are, awake"

"It happens, so can I leave?"

"Once I've checked you over and made sure nothings wrong, I still want to keep you for observation though."

"Why, so you can watch me go nuts? Then you could film it, 'When patients flip and massacre everyone in a hospital', could be a box office hit." The doctor chuckled. "Oh, you think I'm kidding, that's so sweet." Max said in complete monotone.

"I want to ask you about some other injuries you seem to have sustained in the past"

"Most are classified and don't officially exist. So have fun with your questions." The doctor sighed in a defeated way, seeing as she had no medical record to speak of and she didn't seem like she was going to answer any questions it would be pointless.

"Your colleagues will be visiting later. When they get here I'll have them shown in. Two at a time though."

"You do that."

Ah, silence. Max couldn't quite be sure which was worse, irritating doctors or no sound. They hadn't even left anything to amuse herself with, and getting transfered to the psych ward was not on her agenda, so no going nuts.

* * *

The day passed slowly for Max, she had sent Ryuk to the death god realm to find Rem who she hadn't seen in a while.

The news she got back was interesting to say the least. She was now considered an unofficial death god pending further investigation of her death god form. Being buddies with the death god king has its perks. That meant she could own a death note properly, and as such didn't need to be followed by a death god. Ryuk wasn't too pleased that he wouldn't get his spare book back.

It was passed five when Max first heard signs of visitors.

"Rho!" Max couldn't help but cringe slightly at Abby's loud voice as the goth entered the room followed by Gaara. Max could not meet his eyes, she felt bad about worrying him.

"Hey guys, how's it hanging?"

"How are you? Are you in pain?" Abby's questions were mimicked in Japanese at a calmer pace by Gaara.

"I'm fine, no pain, I just want to get out of here"

"You got shot! Yesterday! How can you be fine?"

"Not the first time. Doubt it will be the last time." Max did notice Abby hadn't said anything about her taking the bullet for DiNozzo. Had they not told her that or was she just ignoring it?

After Abby and Gaara left Max began to think of possible exits. She really didn't want to receive the third degree from the rest of the team.

"Why'd you do it?" Too late, they were here, or at least DiNozzo and Gibbs were.

"Take the bullet? Less fatal for me than for you, if I hadn't been there it would have hit your chest, most likely your heart at that," Max said factually. The look on the two agents faces told her they weren't going to take that as an answer.

"But why?"

"You saw the video, I see too many people I consider friends die, if I have to get shot to prevent another then so be it."

"How many times have you taken a bullet for someone?" Gibbs asked.

"A bullet? Once, it was either this one or this one," Max said pointing to a shoulder wound and a stomach wound, she'd got them in quick succession so couldn't quite remember which was which. She didn't mention the other times she'd taken a different wound for someone. They hadn't asked about that. They probably wanted to though.

"What were the others for?"

"Drive by shooting in Vegas. First time I got shot I think. Well directly shot, there was a time before that in London, shot by a sniper when I moved my arm in front of the bullet. Didn't stop it but again, less fatal than it would have been. I think at some other time I got shot while stopping some guys in a car chase, that was interesting."

"Do you have a saving people thing or something?"

"It's what I was trained to do," Max shrugged. She hoped they would leave soon, she hated people questioning why she did anything, her reasons were always her own. If they were supposed to know then they would.

The two agents got the hint and left, DiNozzo looked like he had more questions but left anyway. That left only two visitors remaining Max could think of, Ziva and McGee. Max should have known she would be wrong with that.

McGee entered followed by his sister, Max hid her surprise, she should have known Sarah would look her up and go to her brother first.

"Apparently you two have met," McGee said, his way of explaining why she was there with him. Max smiled, shaking her head slightly.

"I wondered how long it would take you," Max said to Sarah. There was some light chatter before they left, not before Max asked for one of them to find her copy of _Deep Six_ at NCIS so she could continue reading it. She shared the amused look with Sarah.

Last to visit was Ziva, Max wasn't sure if she should be worried, Ziva had been weary of her, choosing to watch her instead of talk.

"If you're going to ask why I stopped the bullet, go ask DiNozzo," Max started, explaining things once was her limit. There was a pause Max could tell Ziva was trying to think of what to say.

"I wanted to apologise about my suspicions of you."

"No sweat," Max said brushing it off, she then noticed Ziva's confused expression. "Right, idioms bad. 'No sweat' means, like, no problem or no harm done. I really don't care. In fact I would have been insulted if you hadn't seen me as a threat. I took it as a compliment," Max explained. She was beginning to suspect there were painkillers in her system still, she wasn't normally this talkative with people. Maybe they had done it by remote control o something she wondered.

"Have you been given morphine?" Ziva asked slightly confused by Max's behaviour. Max was cut off from anything she was about to say when the door opened.

"Director," Ziva acknowledged respectfully. Max wondered if playing dead would work. She had forgotten about the director. Was there anyone else who felt the need to visit that she hadn't remembered.

"Officer David. Would you wait outside while I talk to Rho?" Ziva nodded and left, leaving the door slightly open but not noticeably. Max could tell the rest of the team were listening in as they crowded around it.

Director Sheppard didn't say anything to begin with, just looking over Max.

"What was the point in sending Ziva so you could talk to me if you aren't actually going to talk?" Max asked.

"I was just wondering something"

"Good for you, would you kindly stop wasting my time now? I would like to get out of here and return to my duties"

"What duties? Your week is up, you're no longer working at NCIS"

"Wow, you act like NCIS is - no, was my only job. I do have other duties you know. I can't believe I spent my last day of work in a hospital bed though, that kind of sucks." Max grumbled.

"Why did you take a bullet for one of my agents?"

"As you said I don't work for you any more, so I'm not obligated to tell you squat. But since you took some time out of your busy schedule to see me I'll say that it was better I got shot than him. Now you can return to your boring life while I plot my escape."

* * *

It took the red haired girl a week to track down her last target. A plant/man hybrid stood opposing her. She'd prepared for this showdown. She unsealed something from a scroll and pointed it at her enemy.

"Hand over your ring," she ordered, half of the mans face laughed. The red haired girl smirked and sprayed. A fine mist hit the plant-man, at first not doing anything, then the plant-man screamed. Patches of his body started to rapidly decay. It didn't take long for the plant-man to collapse into a pile of decaying plant matter leaving only the cloak and ring.

"Weed killer, got to love the stuff," the girl said twirling the spray bottle around a finger like a gun before sealing it back into a scroll. She picked up the ring, her mission was done, maybe she could start healing now.

She pulled out a folded note reading it over, the last line was the only thing of importance now. She refolded it, slipping it back into a pocket and disappeared from the clearing.

* * *

Some times Max really had to wonder about Gaara, she was ready to move on to her next assignment, where ever that would be. He wanted to stay and attend school. Well college, but still. Max had decided on a road trip down the east coast to Miami. Hopefully she wouldn't find any dead bodies there.

She decided to go visit the team before she left, she still needed that autograph from McGee and she wasn't supposed to drive for a few weeks, her arm would stay in the sling until she left. She was leaving in a few days regardless but she was spending the rest of the time before she left trailing Gaara until she was sure he could be left alone in a college environment.

The lift pinged on the ground floor, empty until Max entered. Another agent sped up to catch the same. The short journey was painfully silent and Max was glad when it reached her floor. The team were at their desks, not working particularly hard.

"Hey Rho, I didn't know they let you out," McGee said, he was the first person to notice her approach.

"Meh, it was either they let me go or I walk out. They let me go, less hassle."

"Why are you here, you don't work here anymore"

"I know, I'm here to say adios. I've got something that will be taking my attention for a while then I'm off to Miami." Max saw DiNozzo's eyes light up.

"Boss-"

"No DiNozzo, you may not take time off"

"But-" What ever DiNozzo had been about to say was cut off by a look from Gibbs.

"I love working freelance," Max chirped, basking in DiNozzo's irritation. "Anyway, I still need to see Abby and Ducky before I go. Just one more thing. McGee."

"Yes?" McGee asked, not a clue about what she would ask. Max almost grinned evilly but that would have given her game away so she suppressed the urge.

"Can you sign my book? Please?" Max asked with a big, cheesy smile holding out her copy of _Deep Six_. The team looked at McGee who tried to ignore it as he signed the inside page for her.

"What book, and why would you want McGeek to sign it?" DiNozzo asked.

"You're an investigator, investigate it," Max said, she thanked McGee and headed to the lift.

Ducky was the next person she visited, Palmer was there too. That goodbye took a lot longer if only because of the tangents Ducky went off on. Max didn't mind, the stories were interesting, she could have sat there all day. But she did have a time limit so she finally made her farewells, then headed to Abby's lab, the last stop before leaving.

Just a few days of watching Gaara before she would be heading to Miami. Sweet, sweet vacation. No life threatening situations, no worries.

And now Hakuna Matata was stuck in her head. Again.

* * *

It was nice to be on the road, only herself and the music that drowned out her thoughts. She'd managed to get a red Mustang convertible using various funds she had acquired over the years. It was only as she reached Florida on the second day of driving it felt warm enough to put the top down.

It was also on the second day of driving she made her presence known to the police in Miami. Having arrived on Miami Beach and checked into a hotel she had gone out to a nice outdoor restaurant. It had been a long drive after all.

Then someone had obviously decided, 'hey, let's rob an outdoor restaurant that has so many weak spots I might as well commit suicide'. A group of men had barged through tables wielding guns and started yelling out demands one of them fired of a few shots, and one of the patrons collapsed from a bullet to the head.

Max had been sat near the edge of the tables and as such heard everything loud and clear. Too loud for her sensitive hearing. Max was not impressed and the dead person was the last straw.

It took less than a minute to knock them out and disarm them all. She then casually returned to eating her meal in silence. The other patrons still being shocked from what had just happened in the last few minutes.

It was five minutes later police arrived on the scene. If Max had realised that would happen she would have eaten quicker and left. After a few people had been questioned Max was approached, initially having been overlooked.

"Hi, I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine from the Miami-Dade crime lab. I'd like to ask a few questions."

"I know the drill," Max grumbled, she still consented to the questioning. She was half expecting him to take of his sunglasses for no particular reason.

It must have been how she handled herself that interested Caine enough to delve past the incident. Not giving her real name probably didn't help, nor did her desert eagle, at least she had the permit for it.

"Have you ever worked with law enforcement before?" Caine asked.

"Define 'with'. I've worked as a freelance detective in Japan and I've worked for NCIS in D.C. I've also worked with the CSI's in Vegas and helped a case of theirs. Then there are my various classified operations which I can't go into for obvious reasons." She held up her ID. It was actually very useful if people actually believed her about it.

"Interesting credentials you have Miss Rho. Enjoy the rest of your lunch." Max couldn't help but be amused at the confused look on the CSI's face, he was probably going to do a background check on her claims, that was fine with her it would all check out.

As she was wandering around afterwards she wandered into a random building playing the 'lost tourist' card. Something was going to go down. Maybe she'd been at NCIS too long but she had a feeling in her gut.

* * *

Reviews are awesome, like cake.

Oh, and FYI Dr Brad Pitt is a canon character in NCIS, appears in the SWAK episode, one of the early seasons with Kate.


	21. Miami to California and beyond

Yay, Exams are finished, back to a random update schedule of when ever I feel like it.

I had made a backlog from my exam season but this is the last of it. Now I have to start writing it again.

* * *

So the bank was held up, these people were professionals. Idiots but pros, who walks into a bank declaring 'this is a robbery'? They even bothered with a cell phone jammer. Max stood in the conference room with the other hostages, content to wait until this went bad. She'd already done the saving people thing once already and with the amount of people she was against it wasn't worth the effort.

Two hostages stood out to her though, the two that were stood calm as anything compared to the employees who looked scared shitless. She could have sworn she'd seen both at the restaurant earlier. They had also been in the lobby when she had wandered in, arguing over something.

As the last few hostages were rounded up into the conference room, one of the guys made a move for a gun. He was shot in the arm for his troubles. Max was then reminded that she actually had a gun on her, they had been told to leave cellphone, but not guns, this was a bank after all. One gun still wasn't much, and they had silencers, if she shot someone they would know it wasn't one of them.

Max couldn't help but be impressed by the BS the other weird hostage spouted, there was no way that guy was a doctor, but it worked. She sat and watched as events played out. She was tempted to ask to go to the bathroom then create an army of clones but she would wait, she didn't want to mess up any plans the two guys had.

Then again it never hurt to have a back up, she created a load of ANBU clones in the office next to the conference room.

What really pissed her off was when one of them pointed as gun at her when the bank executives kicked up a fuss. After being shot so recently she did not take that well.

"Look, who ever the hell you guys are, you want to shoot me? Go ahead, you want to see something though?" Max asked she pulled at the collar of her jacket showing three bullets wounds on her shoulder and arm, Atlantis, Hazzard and D.C. "And these," she said lifting up her tank top slightly to show the stomach bullets wounds including the one that made a mess of her side, Vegas, Atlantis and Hidden continent. "You want to shoot me go ahead, but heed this warning, for everyone who's managed to shoot me, they've never survived," she lied. The bank robber looked at her, studying her to see if there was any hint of a lie. Max was on a hair-trigger, her clones had spread out behind all the robbers ready to kill them.

"Ever survived a shot to the head?" the main guy asked, he had a sort of gangster/mafia kind of accent. But he had threatened her.

That was it.

Max smirked and tilted her head slightly. "Ever survived being decapitated?" She asked mimicking his accent. As if that was some code her clones appeared from places in smooth, precise movements, as if they were only shadows, appearing from under desks or behind corners. This was all for show, she didn't want any one to think it was magic. Within seconds every bank robber had a knife to their neck and were missing their guns.

"How the bloody hell did they get in?" The main guy asked.

"That is absolutely none of your business, what is your business is what you're going to do now. Do remember who's in control of this situation." Max made a gesture, it had no meaning other than for show. Her clones used varying methods of making their captives lose consciousness. "Now that's better, isn't it? Does anyone know how to get a call out of here with the jammer?"

"The 'doctor' looked like he was going to raise his hand. She could see he wasn't sure if he should trust her.

"Look, I work for the government," she said showing her general ID she'd been given at Cheyenne mountain, it basically said she was a specialist working freelance for the government, it was the same ID she had show Lt. Caine earlier. The 'doctor' inspected it then her but still looked dubious, then he made his decision.

"I can get you that call."

* * *

Near to Cheyenne Mountain a parcel began its journey, it wouldn't see its intended recipient for a while, but it wasn't addressed to them. The actual package would be hand delivered. The red haired girl knew this. It had already happened.

* * *

Max was relaxing on the beach, she'd seen enough of the police and she'd only been in Miami a few hours. A person moved into her sun casting a shadow over her.

"Who are you?" the person asked. It was the weird not-doctor hostage.

"You saw my ID at the bank, a better question would be who are you?"

"Michael Western"

"Spy? Let me guess, you've been burnt." The guy was speechless, Max knew she'd got it right. "I'm on vacation, I will not work for anyone but myself, so don't ask."

* * *

A week later Max was ready to move on, she had managed to thwart at least three more hostage situations. She doubted she would be returning to Miami if the hostage situations were going to be like dead bodies in Vegas.

She'd gotten a call, anyway, meet up with Doctor McKay in Eureka, then go on to California so he could give a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology. Her job was to make sure he didn't blurt out secrets by accident and just keep him safe from various people.

The first part of her trip was fine. Drive to Eureka, no company other than music blasting out of the car's radio. Nothing to focus on, just like the drive to Miami. She barely noticed the sunlight changing as she drove through the night and a lot of the day.

Eureka… Eureka was interesting. Max had been intercepted by the sheriff while driving into town. A detailed examination of her ID allowed her to continue as well as that hint of recognitions from her last visit. She didn't blame the sheriff for being cautious, she did look like a joyriding teen with a sweet car into a classified town.

Her run in with the trigger-happy deputy was less simple. Max could have sworn that woman could sniff out the weapons she had on her person. That had taken some sweet-talking to get out of.

By the time she actually got to the town it was growing dark. She found a parking spot and entered the café, she was supposed to be meeting McKay inside. Typically there was no sign of him, he was probably working late, well later.

"Hi, what can I get you?" a girl asked Max as she sat down, pulling of her jacket and hanging it over the back of her chair.

"As much coffee as you can physically fit in a cup, I'm gonna need it."

"Why?"

"I'm here as a bodyguard-"

"For Doctor McKay?" The shock must have shown as the girl explained. "He was boasting about being important enough to warrant a bodyguard. Aren't you a bit young?"

"Age is nothing, believe me. Besides if they didn't think I would do the job well I wouldn't be here."

"Right. So coffee then?"

"Yup, just keep it coming until McKay gets here"

It was definitely dark by the time McKay finally turned up. Max was nursing her fifth cup while talking to the girl, Zoe, who worked at the café.

"They sent _you_?" McKay asked, clearly shocked. Max was really tempted not to answer, she'd been answering too many obvious questions recently and it was slowly driving her bananas.

"Let's just get a move on," Max grumbled, getting up and fishing out her car keys.

"It's dark, don't you want to rest or something?" Zoe said.

"I've had enough coffee to keep me up for a week, I'll be fine." Max slipped her jacket back on and as she walked out of the café she added sunglasses. McKay looked at her then up at the dark night sky, then back at her before shaking his head.

* * *

Tsunade couldn't believe the report she was staring at. If it wasn't for the overwhelming evidence to support it she would have thought it was a joke.

"Are you absolutely certain about this?" she asked the shinobi in front of her. She got a curt nod in response. "Do you know how this happened?"

"All remaining members remember a red haired girl shortly before noticing the absence of their rings."

"If it wasn't for Max's alibi I would have thought it was her doing," Tsunade murmured looking at the report again. "Your long term mission is now terminated permanently. Welcome home Itachi." She tossed over his unmarked headband, something she had kept hold of while he was undercover. The two were interrupted by the door bursting open. Sasuke stormed in followed at a more leisurely pace by Shiba who sauntered in and immediately latched herself onto Itachi's arm.

"Can I get a restraining order for this thing?" Sasuke asked. It was kind of irritating to find her riffling though Itachi's stuff while he was with Laura in his own room. Sasuke had at that point decided to move to his own flat, far away. From the look on Itachi's face, he wasn't the only one who was thinking of moving.

Then it clicked. "Oh, you're back. You might want a restraining order too. And probably a new unmolested wardrobe," Sasuke said. He looked disdainfully at Shiba, glad Sakura had finally grown up and left him alone.

* * *

It was dark again by the time Max and McKay arrived in Pasadena, California. It had only taken a few wrong turns to find the apartment block they would be staying at. For a month it was cheaper than a hotel. Max, as the body guard, had the tedious job of bringing up the bags.

Why did they have to have an apartment on the fifth floor? Also, why was the lift broken? Max frequently vocalised these thoughts. She supposed if she hadn't been driving too fast McKay wouldn't be looking so green.

On about her third trip she bumped into someone on the fourth floor, literally. She managed to shift her load and hold out a hand for the guy who had fallen. It was interesting to note the guys friend was just standing there with an almost scandalised look.

"I'm sorry, I should have been paying more attention," Max apologised, the fallen guy took her hand, visibly surprised by how she managed to hoist him up.

"So you should be, you could have seriously hurt him. Just because you can't be bothered to look where your going, don't mean you should just barge into people. You aren't the only person here." The guys friend complained, he was tall and wiry, from his tee shirt he was a geek.

"I could seriously hurt you, only this time it won't be an accident," Max growled glaring at the tall guy who took an involuntary step back.

"Are you moving to the empty apartment upstairs?" the guy who she had bumped into asked. Max nodded shifting her load again. "Do you want some help?"

"Nah, I got it. I'm only here for a month so not much stuff." The tall guy glared at her, Max gave him a look but he only glared harder.

"Have you finished butchering the English language?"

"I can tell this is going to be a painful month," Max groaned. "I'm Rho, you should probably know an identity of the person who will piss you off."

"'The identity', not 'an'," the tall guy corrected.

"No, I know what I said, I have multiple identities I use, you now know one of them." The tall guy glared at her again, this time putting his fingers to his temples as if he were using mind powers.

"I'm Leonard, that's Sheldon, he's trying to kill you with his mind."

"That's new, no ones tried to kill me with their mind before." Max let the implication sink in as she ascended the next flight of stairs to her own apartment.

* * *

Gaara watched with fascination as Abby worked, while he was at college in D.C. he would visit NCIS, more specifically Abby who was teaching him English and American sign language. He enjoyed the company now that Max had disappeared again.

While he was still working on English, body language was universal. McGee wasn't really that subtle either with his jealous looks. Gaara ignored them, was it not obvious he wasn't interested. Abby was a nice girl, quirky but not on the scale he was used to.

The rest of the team got on with him, with his limited English he got more idioms wrong than Ziva, he refused to carry a weapon despite the fact it was recommended and he was allowed, but overlooking those he saw a lot more than the team, he could follow a blood trail by scent alone. That earnt him the nickname 'The Racoon' from the team, what with the dark lines around his eyes as well.

* * *

It was almost time to go for Max and McKay in Pasadena, his series of lectures having finished. Death count: 0

For the moment anyway. Max had been sorely tempted many of times. At least she had kept McKay separate from Sheldon. There had been a close call in one of McKay's lectures but Max had managed. The obsession with comic books Sheldon had was his downfall.

Max had met Leonard and Sheldon's friends, all three of them. That was kind of sad, Max had to admit as she sat on the fire escape by her apartment.

It was then she realised how alone she was feeling. She had distanced herself from everyone, physically, and possibly emotionally. Reverting to how she had been before this dimension. She knew how this would end if she didn't do anything. That was if she could.

"Hey, Rho, get in here," McKay yelled from inside the living room area.

"Where's the fire?" she asked scanning the room for any sign of danger. She noticed McKay was holding out a phone. She took it with a nod of thanks and went back out to the fire escape.

"Yello?"

"Ah, Rho, I heard you were in California. I was wondering if you could do me a favour," Director Sheppard asked.

"Sure, I have nothing better to do with my time, I live for you to ask me to do something," Max said getting gradually more sarcastic.

"There's a dead marine in Washington state, you may have noticed air travel has been limited but someone needs to be there and I want an NCIS representative there asap. Could you be that rep for me?" Max hadn't noticed air travel had been limited but she had just spent a month doing not a lot.

"I suppose I could go, where about?"

"A small place called Forks."

* * *

I wonder which crossover this will be...

Warning: I am not fond of Twilight, in fact I dislike it with every fiber of my being.

Be warned.

As usual I love reviews to little tiny pieces.


	22. Max and the Twishite saga, part 1

This chapters been split into two bits, it's easier and means you get some now and some when I finish the rest of it instead of waiting till I've finished the whole thing.

This may seem a bit tame for what some of you may have been expecting, the next part contains the interesting bits.

* * *

It was raining lightly as Max drove into the quiet town of Forks. She'd pulled an all-nighter driving to get there, and so she was slightly grouchy as she pulled into the car park of a diner. She was still ahead of schedule so could afford a bite to eat before making her presence known.

She was actually in luck, a cop was in the diner, and as this town was the kind where everyone knew each other she stood out like a sore thumb to him. She had almost finished her meal by the time she was noticed though.

"What brings you to this place?" he asked jovially taking a seat next to her. Max tried not to move away slightly at the invasion of personal space.

"NCIS business," Max informed him, flipping out her ID for him to see.

"Here about the Jamie then?" As Max's unimpressed look he elaborated. "The marine."

"No, I came here to see the lovely weather," she said sarcastically, gesturing at a window. The cop chuckled at her.

"I can take you to see the body. It may have to wait until the rain lets up, it looks like a storms on its way."

"Or we could go see it now while it's still undisturbed. It _is_ still undisturbed, right." Max said in a clearly condescending way. She could feel something in the area, it was driving her nuts and she was now taking it out on anyone who came into contact with her.

This was going to be a fun visit.

"It'll be impossible in this weather to get there, one of my buddies is up there watching it though, no worries"

"I'll go check on him" Max said, getting up from her seat leaving enough money on the table for her meal.

"But-"

"I'm not kidding when I say this. I've seen more action than you ever will, I've handled terrain that not even animals dare go near. Nothing this place throws at me will even compare."

"There have been savage animal attacks recently, it's not safe." Max looked at the guy and tilted her head slightly as if she was thinking. "What?"

"Selective hearing I suppose, it can happen. I'll be fine. Just give me a location." Max said, slightly irritated at his lack of faith, it showed badly.

"It's not that I doubt you, it's just you remind me of my daughter, I wouldn't want her to get hurt."

"I'll wait until I've met her to decide if I should be insulted," Max muttered. "Trust me, I can handle it."

The cop looked sceptical as he wrote down the coordinates on a piece of paper and handed it over. Max gave a smile and departed, taking to the trees as soon as she could.

It wasn't long before the lighting started. However, with the lighting came another sound, one that didn't belong. She sent a clone of to the body while she followed the sound. With her speed it didn't take long to get close enough to work it out.

Who played baseball in the middle of a storm? Seriously, mentally deficient much. Still Max was intrigued and moved closer, still in the trees despite their thinning. She decided to Henge, only one of her was supposed to be around and she was supposed to be checking out a body. Murdock existed again.

Just as she reached a clearing she felt something hurling towards her. A split second before it hit her face she caught it. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger she inspected it. One baseball: slightly damp, recently been impacted with a powerful force, a metal bat, aluminium by the smell. She then noticed she was being watched as she sat between a forked branch of a tree.

Something was not right with these people. The more she observed the more she realised they were the cause of her unease from her arrival in Forks. Faster, stronger and older than normal humans.

"Who are you?" one of her watchers asked. There were seven of them, three female, four male.

"I have a better question, _what_ are you?" Max asked. It was amusing to see a synchronised eye widening. Ninja instinct kicked in as she noticed most of them tensing to run. She pushed of her branch, heading back into the forest away from them, until she knew more about them she would refrain from picking fights. They were not natural.

She felt four of them pursuing her, only one really gaining on her. Again, not natural, her speed wasn't so theirs definitely wasn't. While Max was dodging the branches she could hear them running straight through them. That was not normal, at the speed they were travelling that would hurt like hell. Max knew from experience.

A road was up ahead and Max made a decision to follow it, she refused to admit she was lost. She'd dropped her Henge and allowed her clone to deviate from the crime scene to Henge into an animal to keep watch, the place was safe enough but she wanted to keep an eye on it.

Just as she got onto the road, a car came hurtling around the bend smacking into her side sending her bouncing over the asphalt.

Max was not happy. Now she had a broken arm, several broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and multiple bruises. She had gotten of lightly though, the car had been going much faster than the speed limit. Had she been normal, she would have died. She heard the car doors open, three people getting out but only one rushing over to her.

The three females from the baseball game. Max was glad she had dropped her Henge. One of them tilted her head and sniffed, frowning a bit, but shrugged what ever it was off.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you," the oldest female apologised, crouching to Max's slumped form, the other two watching from besides the car.

"If you touch me, I will remove your hands," Max threatened. The female flinched, withdrawing from Max's proximity. Max used her uninjured arm to prop herself up and face them.

"You should go to hospital."

"I wonder why," Max snarled. She took out her cellphone, no signal, just her luck. At least her legs weren't broken. She got up trying not to wobble too much. It wasn't hard to ignore the pain in her arm, two bones were sticking out through her flesh in her forearm but top be honest that wasn't the worst she'd obtained. There was no way she could fix that here though.

"I'll take you to hospital," the female nearest her offered. Max shrugged, she didn't fancy walking with a broken arm. At least she still had her clone near the body, watching over it.

* * *

A tripronged kunai stuck a tree, sinking in a few inches, seconds later a yellow blur appeared, as Naruto materialized by it. Laura sat nearby, consulting an old scroll, with a note pad on a knee as she took notes, simplifying the scrolls content. A huge fire ball scorched thorough the clearing to a point where it then exploded into smaller fire balls going in every direction.

Sasuke winced as one almost hit Laura, singing the paper. She didn't look too happy, but he easily dodged the rock thrown at him. A snake slithered up his leg biting him before he noticed it was even there. Anko appeared by Laura and they shared a high five, making it obvious who had made the snakes.

Louise was nearby, in the shade, reading a letter. Years of interrogating people in the dark had lead to a slight aversion to direct sunlight. The letter was from Gaara, detailing what had been happening, including Max wandering off again.

The letter did hold some interesting information. While there was no solid proof Louise would keep it to herself. Max apparently had had fun in Miami.

Everyone stopped to watch as a blur sped through the training area, followed by a slightly more coherent blur. Activities then restarted, most of them had an amused grin as they did so. Shiba was still stalking Itachi at high speed.

* * *

Max disliked her arm cast; the pure white bugged her, not nearly as much as her hospital room but that was why she was crouched on the windowsill watching the sun rise behind the thick clouds that seemed to cover Forks. She couldn't get rid of the cast so easily. At least her shoulder didn't need anything, her ribs were wrapped up to hold them in place, but that wasn't visible.

After being set in place her arm had started healing fine, she didn't need the stupid cast, but apparently pale creepy doctors by the name of Cullen knew best. Max snorted, pale creepy doctors should know better than to play baseball in storms, yet he had been.

Max got off the ledge when she felt someone enter her room. Oh, it was just Doctor Cullen, she almost got back onto the ledge but instead just leaned out.

"Unless you're here to let me leave then get out."

"I understand you have a job to do but you really shouldn't do anything strenuous."

"You think watching over a crime scene is strenuous? Jeez," Max muttered. "Compare to my job that's a walk in the park."

"I also understand you don't have any place to stay-"

"Who told you that?" Max had many places to stay, most of them where far away but still, she could find somewhere, like her car.

"That doesn't matter, my wife feels bad about your situation and so we would like to offer our home as a place to stay," Doctor Cullen explained. Max turned to face him, the most incredulous look she could manage on her face.

"And you think I'll take you up on that? Your wife hit me with a car. You don't get that I don't need this thing," Max waved around the cast on her arm, "I may hate your family for all you know. I probably do but forcing me to deal with them, that's beyond stupid."

"It's the only way you're getting out of this hospital any time soon." Max narrowed her eyes, he was going to try to manipulate her?

Game on.

* * *

Ziva and McGee were on the first military jet to Seattle. The flight restrictions had been lightened but only to allow military aircrafts to fly. DiNozzo had wanted to go but due to circumstances it was agreed he should wait in D.C.

Max had relented to staying at the Cullen's. She had also figured out why. Apparently she smelt like 'the girl who saw them play baseball' and they wanted to know why. Max hadn't even tried and she was already screwing with them.

She'd also found out that one of them was a mind reader. That had been hilarious, poor kid now had _Caramelldansen_ stuck in his head and would every time he tried to read her mind. Max wasn't sure if he was a one off, or if the other had powers too. Max had yet to figure it out, and then by proxy how to screw with them.

It had only been an hour when Max started to get bored. Silently, she wandered to the kitchen, she'd been shown were the stuff was. She didn't expect to see the mind reader kid. He cringed as she entered the room, song blaring in her mind for him to hear.

"Are you ok?" she asked looking concerned, despite the fact she knew it was her fault.

"No. It's nothing, you smell weird." The kid's eyes widened as he realised what he'd just said. Max merely raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"You really don't look to good." Max reached to feel his forehead in case he had a fever but he backed away knocking over something from the counter besides him. "I'm not going to hurt you, trust me, if I wanted to hurt you I would have done so already." What the kid didn't know was Max had gotten her hand close enough to feel the temperature of his skin, definitely colder than was natural.

Another reason to wonder about this 'family'. They were joined by the doctor male of the group. Max realised she should have at least attempted to remember names past their last name.

"You two are up late. Any problems, is your arm hurting, or your ribs?" He asked Max kindly.

"I'm fine, I just wanted a drink. I think he has some issues though," Max said pointing to the kid. "I would consider sending him to a therapist"

"Have you been near any animals recently? Sometimes he has a bad reaction to the fur." Max almost applauded the doctor, that was a good lie, almost plausible. Unfortunately Max had an excellent BS meter. She would let this slide though, she wanted to lull them into a false sense of security first.

"Must have been the dogs from my last assignment, their fur got everywhere," Max lied.

The discussion finished at that point and the three of them dispersed to where they came from.

* * *

Gaara was sat in McGee's seat, watching DiNozzo intently. Ever since the discovery had been made he had been watching the man.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to work here," DiNozzo complained, ignoring the light snigger from Gibbs direction.

"I'm not inhibiting you," Gaara said, defending his actions.

"You're putting me off with your staring"

"My bad." DiNozzo was slightly amused at he fact Gaara had picked up some sayings better than Ziva had. He didn't know that Max had used it a lot in both Japanese and English.

* * *

Review please

There will be destruction in the second part, this was just the build up. I don't like it when the hate isn't justified.


	23. Max and the Twishite saga, part 2

Second part, with all the doom and destruction. Ok _most_ of it, I'll probably end up revisiting anyone left alive.

Almost finished school so then I have more free time, Yay!

I must resist the temptation to spend all of my summer writing this.

* * *

Morning was just as gloomy as the day she had arrived in Forks. Max caught a lift to the diner where her cars was, she would be picking up McGee and Ziva from the airport. The creep who drove her was silent the entire journey, Max wasn't sure if that was out of fear or lack of a topic. She did feel something trying to futz with her emotions but she was having none of that.

It was calming to be on her own again as she drove out to Seattle, she desperately wanted to take of the cast and the weather was very depressing. Forks was also a bit over crowded for her, the family who could not seem to leave her be was especially annoying.

Seeing even part of the NCIS team made her feel better. Even as they argued over who got the passenger seat Max could only smile. Ziva won, obviously, somehow by just holding up a paperclip and giving him a look, that was a bit confusing for Max. At least they hadn't tried to drive citing the cats.

Max couldn't help but feel like the agents were hiding something, the banter in the car seemed to avoid talking about something. Max couldn't quite put her finger on it though so she didn't let it get to her.

At the crime scene she watched them get to work, taking pictures and sketches. Max herself walked the perimeter keeping an eye out. Her clone had noticed something near by earlier but it hadn't got close enough to warrant a look.

* * *

A few hours later they had gathered their evidence, the agents had a room in Seattle. Forks didn't get many visitors and so there wasn't really any place to stay. Max had lucked out with the Cullen's hospitality, despite the fact she was trying to drive them insane. It still provided her with a place close to the scene.

However, Max did go to take another look at the crime scene once McGee and Ziva were back in Seattle. This time something felt wrong, something was already there. Her clone hadn't detected anything out of the ordinary but converged on the scene as Murdock.

"Step away from the scene," Max called out, aware that she was alerting them to her presence. She pounced on the male who sped out. Not one of the Cullen's but shares the super human abilities. It didn't take long to pin them but she did make a mistake.

She had assumed there was only one.

Max was flung into a tree by a second male who was then grabbed by Murdock and slammed to the ground. A woman exited the building making the odds uneven.

"Look what we have here," the female said disdainfully.

"I take it you three killed that guy," Max said unconsciously slipping into her stance. The cast restricted it so she smashed it against a tree, shaking off the bits and returning to her stance. Her arm had healed to a degree she didn't need it.

"So what if we did, it's not like two humans could take us on." Max smirked, shaking her head.

"I'm not human and there aren't two of us. Bitch." Max sneered, creating a few more clones. She put as much chakra into their structure, they would defiantly last more than a few good hits. As a unit they attacked, each moving in perfect harmony. Shame about the rock hard skin, Max only then resorted to magic, it was less area destructive. It was also a bit slow. Chakra enhanced punches it was.

"Your pitiful spells have no effect against vampires," the female declared.

"You guys are vampires. Seriously? Ok then this on for size. Lumos!" Max focused on creating a UV ball of light. She was a tad disappointed whey they didn't disintegrate.

Then she noticed something that made her freeze.

"Are you guys sparkling? Wow, that's a bit… gay I suppose, I mean sparkling," Max chuckled, she extinguished the light. "I guess I have to find some other way of killing you guys." Max socked the nearest one in the face with a chakra coated fist. There was a distinct crack as the males jaw snapped, only skin was holding it on to his face. "You guys can get injured. Does that scare you?" Max's clones then dog piled them, beating each of them into a tiny pulp of mashed up bone, fat and muscle, the skin may have been unbreakable but not the rest of them.

At some point during the beating an audience formed. Not of the human kind. Of the Cullen kind. Max of course didn't register that until she had finished, her clones keeping an eye on them anyway and the song was blaring though her mind like usual. She hadn't been able to pull out the stocks in so long so she was enjoying her punch bags.

"You here for some too?" Max asked the Cullen's without bothering to turn around. She dispelled her clones not caring that they saw. Who would believe them?

"You were that girl at the baseball game."

"You guys 'vamps' too?" Max asked.

"It depends, are you planning to kill us?"

"If you give me a reason too. You know, if you try to manipulate me, or hit me with a car - oh wait, that's already happened."

"It was an accident," the female who hit her with the car insisted.

"For now I'll make a deal; you don't mention this, and I'll keep your little secret and not kill you." The way she said this was careful, she wanted to give the impression no one should ever know of her abilities, letting them think they had the advantage, then the wouldn't do anything rash.

She may not have been able to read minds but she could tell they were thinking as predicted. That was easy.

Well except now she had just pulverised the possible murderers of the marine.

There were ways to cover that up. It would be messy and probably cause a high number of casualties but Max couldn't bring herself to care. She had all night to set it up. A pyrotechnical display to remember.

* * *

Things only got better. The cop Max had first seen had met up with her in the morning, his daughter had arrived and he wanted the two to meet.

"I'm Bella," the girl introduced. Max had noticed that lack of change in facial expression the whole ten minutes they had met.

"I don't care." Max would be leaving as soon as she was able, she didn't want to meet people. Again there was a lack of emotion from the girl, it was beginning to annoy Max. Actually it reminded her of some of the Cullen's. That was not a good thing.

* * *

In contrast to the weather in Forks, Konoha was warm and humid. A group of friends had taken to sleeping on the roof under the stars. The shinobi of the group had sent up charka warnings so no one would accidentally jump onto them. Every single person in that group had been stargazing before, all with the same person. That person who was millions of miles away.

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" Naruto asked, not really directing the question at anyone specifically.

"She'll come back when she's ready and able too. Knowing her she's in the thick of some plot that could destroy life as we know it," Laura joked.

"She'd probably also screwing around despite the risks." Louise added.

"That's my girl," Anko cooed fondly.

"That's a good point actually. Got a boyfriend yet Anko?" Laura asked, a ridiculously large grin on her face.

* * *

A few days later Max was still stuck in Forks, land of perpetual rain and cloud. McGee and Ziva didn't need her now they had a rental car and knew the way. It meant she had no excuse to get out of the invite to go surfing with Bella and some others. She had to admit, it gave another opportunity to mess with people using her assortment of water jutsu.

La Push seemed as dreary as Forks. But there was a beach. No booze though, Max really missed that planet, she wondered what had happened after she'd left.

She was rudely broken from her thoughts by someone waving a hand in front of her face.

"Come on, I'll introduce you around," Bella said.

"I've been here longer than you, I think I know anyone I want to," Max muttered. Out of habit she did look to see if there was anyone she knew. This only led to noticing she was being watched. "Oh this can't end well," she murmured. Last time that many people had been staring she had decimated a clan.

A shiver ran down her spine as she watched. Unlike the hostile feeling she'd gotten around the 'vampires' she was getting one of kinship. It was freaking her out, a lot.

"Hey, Bella, you came!" One of the guys called out heading towards them, followed by some others. Max paused in thought and pulled a face. She had to thank Louise for the sick mind she possessed, one that had made her interpret the greeting in a different way than was intended.

"Hey Jacob, this is Rho, she'd visiting Forks for a while." Max was ready to strangle Bella, it was _not_ _normal_ to lack facial expressions. It wasn't even hiding them. Hell, it was worse than Sai.

With a bit of interesting talk Max ended up facing some older guys in a Barn. Had this been anything less than serious there would only be Max and a load of bodies. Max was bristling in their presence, she was itching for a fight now.

A voice in her mind gave her the explanation.

Werewolves.

Strangely enough they felt nothing like Lupin from Max's Hogwarts days. These guys were organised and stuff, like an actual pack. It also would explain her instinct of needing to mark her territory and exhibit alpha behaviour. She was **NOT** going to pee on something, even if it took all of her self control. Next time she visited her mind she was going to kick her tenant in the behind for giving her that particular instinct.

The evening drew on after Max's meeting with the werewolf elders. She was avoiding them as much as possible. Everyone was sat around a huge bonfire when an explosion rocked the ground. Flames visible in the east as a column of smoke rose from the distance where Forks had previously been.

It took a lot more self control not to sigh in appreciation of the way it had turned out. To her it was a truly beautiful sight, one of her best displays yet.

"Dad!" Bella whispered, her eyes widening was the only change to her facial expression. Max almost felt bad about that. Then wished Bella had still been in Forks, no one would miss them really.

She could always arrange an 'accident' later for her. For now she would act as surprised and worried as the rest of them.

* * *

The people surrounding the-crater-that-was-Forks weren't the only people worried. It was nearly midnight in Washington D.C. when Forks was wiped from the map. Director Sheppard had been working very late when she got the news. Her first move was to call Ziva and McGee and hope they had gone to Seattle for the night.

She was rewarded by Ziva answering, slightly confused as to why. As Jenny explained Ziva only had one thing to say.

"What about Rho?" A cold feeling settled in Jenny's stomach at that thought. She knew the Rho had been staying actually in Forks instead of in Seattle like the other agents. She dialled Rho's cell, dread growing as no one answered. How was she going to explain this to the rest of the team, and what about Gaara.

* * *

Max looked at her cell phone and swore. She had forgotten to charge it up since she was in California over a week ago and so it was useless, it wouldn't even turn on. She took off towards her car, she needed to get to Seattle so she could let people know she was ok. Avoiding where Forks had been, that would take around five hours so she needed to get a move on now. At least she had all her stuff on her. She'd taken to a nomadic lifestyle of carrying everything with her at all times.

* * *

Two am in D.C. saw a group of people gathered in the bull pen at NCIS HQ. After no reply from Rho, Director Sheppard had decided the others needed to know. Or at least Gaara needed to know, but Gaara had been bowling with Abby and some nuns, so Abby had found out and told the rest of the team. Tony was taking this difficultly, after the discovery of Abby's he'd felt responsible for Rho.

Funnily enough Gaara was the only person who wasn't worried. He had known Max long enough to figure out she'd either caused the explosion or had been somewhere else due to luck.

* * *

Max finally pulled up at the hotel Ziva and McGee were staying in at 1:02 am having ignored most speed limits. The night receptionist was reluctant to let her up but her ID solved that issue pretty quickly.

She really hadn't been expected the greeting when then opened the door, neither of the agents seemed like the hugging kind but she found herself being hugged anyway.

"Why didn't you call? Everyone's been worried about you," McGee asked, letting her seat her on one of the beds.

"My cell died, I forgot to charge it," Max explained sheepishly holding up the phone for proof.

"Rule number 3: never be unreachable."

"There are rules now?" Max looked terrified, a small smirk on her face letting them know she wasn't serious.

"Gibbs has them, he teaches up them as the come up," Ziva clarified.

"Rho's rule number one, rules are here to be broken. Shouldn't we call people to let them know? They're probably panicking by now." Max suggested. It was quite comical to watch them both scramble for a phone.

* * *

At 5:17 am D.C. time Gibb's cell rang. Everyone watched with baited breath as he answered and put it on speaker.

"Ziva?"

"Rho is ok, she's just turned up at the hotel." Sighs of relief filled the bull pen.

"Can we speak to her?" Jenny asked, she wanted to confirm it for sure. They heard a small scuffle.

"Hey guys." Max's voice filtered out though the speaker of the phone. "My phone died so I couldn't talk to you earlier. Sorry 'bout that."

"You three are expected on the next flight back to D.C. we'll debrief fully then."

* * *

Review please

I suppose I could have tortured the characters a bit more. I still can in a lot of cases.

Next chapter has the next **major** plot point or two


	24. Complicated

It hasn't even been a week and I'm updating. I can't help it, I already have the next two chapter written. My summer will definitely be interesting if I keep this up.

This chapter may seem weird but it will all make sense eventually. It's all planned out and in my world nothing is impossible.

* * *

Max felt she'd gone in a circle. She'd started in D.C., gone down, then to the other coast, up, and now she was back where she started at NCIS.

She'd been mildly surprised that Gaara had greeted her in the bull pen in English with the hug that didn't seem to be ending any time soon.

"Uh, Gaara, can you let me go now? The team's probably getting the wrong idea, if they walk in." It was too late anyway as the lift had pinged emptying out the agents just as she said the last part.

"You almost died and you care more about what we think?"

"Again, it's not the first time I've almost died. It won't be the last. Didn't we go over this?"

"We have heard about some of your exploits. You had fun in Miami then?" Ziva asked with a small smile.

"Never going back," Max vowed. She renewed her effort of trying to get out of Gaara's grasp still having no success. Eventually she gave up and basked in it, remembering what she had decided in California, she wouldn't shy away from people again.

By pure chance she noticed the team all giving each other looks, ones that meant words but probably weren't for someone's ears. DiNozzo seemed to lose what ever discussion.

"Uh, Rho, um. Do you have any family?" DiNozzo asked awkwardly. Max froze, what kind of question was that?

"Not biologically that I know of." 'Nor should there be any' Max thought to herself.

"Uh, well. You should probably come to Abby's lab, we need to show you something." Max looked to Gaara for advice, he nodded and released her.

There was an awkward silence in the lift as it descended. The small, crowded metal box was bringing back claustrophobic thoughts of Max's as she shrunk into a corner.

"_Are you ok_?" Gaara asked, switching to Japanese so not to embarrass Max with her answer.

"_It's nothing to worry about,_" she reassured him. Gaara frowned at her wording, she hadn't said it was nothing, just nothing to worry about.

* * *

Abby greeted them with her usual enthusiasm. She turned down her music and went to typing at her computer.

"I guess you're here about 'it', huh."

"She needs to know," Gibbs said. Max raised an eyebrow, they were obviously talking about her. Now she was curious.

"Needs to know what?"

"When you broke your arm in Forks they did a DNA test to find any blood relatives to inform," Abby said, diving into the issue after seeing the others unsure at what to say. "Normally they would check you file but yours is heavily classified especially for a lowly place like Forks and no next of kin is registered. Anyway, they got a hit, a close relative."

"I have a wha – But that's, that's impossible." Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. Abby had brought up her DNA profile and the one she was related to showing the common genetic markers. The evidence right in front of Max's eyes. Like Abby, Max believed in science, everything she did had some relation to science, her techniques especially. Science wouldn't lie to her.

"It wasn't a sibling match or a parent-child one, more like a half-sibling."

"Who?" Max asked, she didn't want any more sugar coating on this explanation. Abby tapped away bringing up Max's 'Rho' ID and then her relative's NCIS ID.

Anthony DiNozzo.

Silence reigned in the lab as Max processed this information. This was wrong. Couldn't be happening. She was from a different dimension for Kami's sake.

She did what she normally did best when faced with something like this. She ran, stopping just short of the lifts, pushing the button and waiting. It was taking too long and it was the first place they would go for to look for her. When it arrived she pressed the up button then got out, taking the stairs down to autopsy.

Ducky could take her mind off it with one of his stories or maybe provided some rational advice. Either way she was glad Palmer wasn't around when she entered the cool autopsy room.

"Hey Ducky," she greeted, her voice close to cracking. Ducky immediately led her to a chair seeing the emotional state she was in. "Can you tell me a story, anything, I just need to hear something."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Max shook her head. "How about I ask you about something else?"

"Shoot"

"What does the name Murdock mean to you?" Ducky asked as he riffled through his desk.

"That would be classified but I'll say it has got a meaning to me."

"Ah, good, then this probably isn't dangerous," Ducky said holding out a small wooden crate a label declaring it was to Rho from Murdock. Max's eyes widened at it, it was even her own handwriting. Just a bit hinky.

"This makes even less sense than having a relative," she muttered. She took out a knife and unscrewed the screws that were holding the lid down.

"I got it in the mail, it was wrapped in brown paper with a note enclosed asking me to hand deliver it to you," Ducky explained as Max removed the lid and moved the packing hay. There were three things inside, a box, a bottle of some of the finest scotch availible and an envelope.

Logic dictated the envelope would explain this mess so Max opened it first, smiling slightly as she saw it was written in Japanese, just in case it had fallen into nosey hands she assumed. There was another piece of paper tucked into the letter. The smiled faded as she read the letter and other bit of paper and ended with a groan, it had cleared that mess up, and made life just a bit more complicated.

"Well, the bottle is for you, as a gift for looking after the box and hand delivering it." Max held up a hand as Ducky began to protest. "The rest is business I need to attend to at some point in the future. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone. Especially not now." Ducky reluctantly nodded earning a genuine smile from Max. "So, what were you working on before I dropped in?"

* * *

The team had split up to look for Max, wanting to make sure she was ok. They all made one mistake though, they assumed she had left the building. Gaara had stayed in Abby's lab, from there he could feel Max in case she moved. He didn't quite understand how they could be related but Max's past was a bit of a mystery before the age of three. It would explain how she knew English so well.

It was almost the end of the day when they converged on Autopsy to check out the body Ducky had been working on. The case had been driven from their minds with the days events.

There had been some spluttering in disbelief when they found that Max had been there all the time. Followed by questions about the body when Ducky attracted their attention. While they were distracted Max took her stuff and left. She had stuff to do.

She was joined by Gaara at her car, he didn't ask questions about it and for that Max was grateful.

"Pizza?" he suggested. Max smiled shaking her head slightly.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

In Autopsy the conversation had drawn back to Max after her absence had been noticed but the agents. Ducky had noticed her leave but not mentioned it.

"I would highly recommend you give Rho some space unless you want to scare her off. She's been wandering around on her own, distancing herself from people for a while so it'll take her a while to adjust, if you don't give her that time she may just give up and move on. Probably without warning." Ducky advised them.

"What else can you tell us about her?" DiNozzo asked, eager to hear about his newfound relative.

"Well-"

* * *

Max should have been expecting that phone call at four am, the one that asked her to go somewhere else to help an old friend. She was used to her feet never hitting the ground, barely finishing her mission before starting a new one. It was her life, she liked it far too much to give it up.

That was why she had just snuck out of the flat Gaara had obtained a while back. She knew he'd probably noticed but figured she should at least give this a try. She needed to be on her way to the airport, she had a flight to catch. A note was left on the table along with the keys to her Mustang. She trusted him to look after it.

She thought about leaving a voice message for the team but she didn't have the faintest idea what to say. They would find out from Gaara at some point.

She landed in Colorado Springs a bit later, heading directly to another gate at the airport. Ultimately she was going back to England, but she had to find someone first, preferably before they both got on the flight.

She slipped between some army guys, her slim stature helping a lot. She caught sight of her target and yelled.

"Alex!" A familiar blond turned his head to see her a slightly confused look on his face but he allowed for her to catch up. Neither of them noticed the army guys had watched this, a glimpse of recognition in their eyes.

"What brings you here Rho? You are Rho at the moment, right?" Alex asked with a smirk.

"It's what my ID says. I'm here to accompany you to England." Max watched his face sour. "I know you don't need a guard or what ever but I needed to get away from D.C. this was my perfect excuse. Besides, why pass on an opportunity to hang out?"

"Cub?" Alex froze, Max hadn't said that, behind her stood four guys, incidentally the 'army guys' Max had passed. Only these guys weren't regular army as Max had assumed. They were part of the British SAS, known as K-unit. Max didn't know this though, she'd only been about to tell they were military out of instinct.

"Wolf." Max was confused, that was her codename, but it was obvious Alex was talking to the guy behind her. She moved to create a circle of people instead of being in the middle.

"You been cheating on me Alex?" Max asked with a smirk which only grew with the indignant looks she received from the two men. Max wasn't the only one who was amused though, 'Wolf's team mates seemed to find it comical. "You guys even have pet names for each other."

"Very funny Rho, you're hilarious. We have a flight to catch though."

"Gate five to Heathrow?" Wolf asked.

"This is getting creepy, if you wanted to go to England with him and not me you should have just said." Max was not letting up on this joke.

"Let's just get on this plane. I have somewhere to be," Alex said walking off, not really bothering to check if any of them were following him.

* * *

The aeroplane was taking off by the time Gaara found the note.

_Hey Gaara,_

_Gone to England to help a friend, see you in a while._

_Max_

Gaara sighed, it was so like Max to do this, leave at the first sign of anything she didn't like. He didn't believe there was a friend, Max could have just made it up, he wouldn't put it past her.

Now he had to tell the agents she was gone, he knew they wanted to talk to her. Ignoring this would get them all nowhere.

* * *

On the flight Max found out exactly why Alex was back from Atlantis. His close friend and ex-guardian had been shot at. The woman had taken down her attackers and was in hospital recovering. Alex was out for vengeance and Max was ready to join him, just because she could really.

K-Unit were just returning from a vacation, being on the same flight was just coincident. There presence meant Max and Alex couldn't talk about confidential stuff like Atlantis or even the Stargate, K-Unit would be too interested in anything they whispered about.

London seemed as depressing as Max remembered. Early November wasn't too early for the icy winds that seemed to ignore Max's jacket and chill her to the bone.

"Do you have a plan?" Max asked trying to hide her hands up her sleeves in a vain attempt to keep them warm.

"Visit Jack, find the bastard who did that, kill him."

"You sound so flippant about that."

"I was actually half expecting you to try to talk me out of it," Alex admitted.

"What do I do for a living?"

"Point taken."

There was some silence as they waited for the bus. Neither of them felt like walking the distance.

"Why did you want to get away from D.C.?"

"Uh, I found out I have a relative, it kind of freaked me out a bit," Max admitted.

"I'm going to assume this means you didn't tell them you left."

"How'd you guess?" Max joked as the bus pulled up. It felt weird, almost like her life was back to normal, no fast cars or sweet guns. She almost wished the gun laws weren't so strict in the UK, but they were so her gun was safely sealed away. Her car would have to stay in America, it was just too much effort to take it everywhere.

It was still early in London so the bus wasn't to full, there was one woman who was talking loudly about her sexual encounters of the previous night but she shut up when everyone had started staring.

It reminded Max she hadn't turned her phone back on since catching her flight. She probably had quite a few messages from people. She was apprehensive about checking, she didn't want to listen only to find out they all hated her or something. She would check them later in a less public place at least.

Visiting time wasn't until much later so the pair sat in the park discussing what ever came to mind. Atlantis came up quite a bit. Max didn't miss it there, she missed some of the people though. At least Haku was doing fine. Max missed the ice nin, he always knew what to do in the situations Max found herself in and so she found her self wishing he was here.

Max only briefly met the woman, she had felt like she was intruding a bit so went back to the park. Now was as good as any time to check her messages.

_You have *seven* new messages._

Most of them were predictable for Gaara who sounded just a teeny bit annoyed. She did get one from DiNozzo, asking her if she wanted to meet up when she got back. Max smiled weakly at that, she wouldn't mind it but it depended on so many things, like if she ever got around to getting back to D.C. with her unpredictable schedule she could be anywhere at any given point in time.

* * *

I swear everything will make sense eventually. It's going to be one of those longer plot points (Ok two of them)

I'm going to be revisiting some earlier crossovers over the next few chapters but because there's been a huge time gap between them in my story imagine Max turned up a few weeks after she last saw them just for the sake of continuity.

Please leave a review, feel free to give your theories about what's happening, I'd love to hear them.


	25. St Trinians has the beat

Ok, I found out the crossover for this chapter is a UK only thing so I'll give you the basics of what you need to know, I can't be arsed to rewrite the whole chapter and you guys probably haven't seen all of the crossovers I've come up with.

St Trinians is a fictional girls boarding school with no rules, it's generally in financial trouble and the teachers are pretty much as bad as the kids.

I'm working with the latest film which is known as St Trinians 2: Legend of Fritton's Gold even though it's technically the seventh film in the franchise, it's the second one of the latest reboot though. This particular film is based around a pirates treasure that the girls are looking for and the antagonist is a sexist group known as AD1 trying to stop them.

Also the headmistress is played by a man and the main bad guy was played by David Tennant. Gotta love random trivia.

* * *

Stuck with nothing to do Max decided to visit an old school. Alex was lucky, he'd heard of the school and made his excuses before Max tried to drag him along. Business had already been taken care of so they were left with nothing to do. The agreed to meet up later, Alex had some friends who still lived in London he was going to see.

St Trinians looked as dangerous as ever and Max rode down the drive. She'd bought a motorbike, it would be easier to seal into a scroll once she was done. Besides, no bus, train or taxi went near the school. Even aircraft avoided the place.

She was greeted warmly by some students she'd known. They hadn't forgotten her, not after the crazy stunts she'd pulled. Seeing someone jump of a building stuck in a girls mind.

Miss Fritton also greeted her, leading her by the arm to her office where the calm happy façade dropped to a more serious one.

"You came at just the right time my dear. We need some assistance with something before our girls get hurt."

"What exactly do you need help with?" Max asked with a small grin, some things never change. As Miss Fritton gave her the low down Max let her mind explore possible plans. She wandered through a mental depiction of the school finding the best places to lay traps and which vantage points would be best.

"So someone wants this ring and you're worried that someone's going to come after it. But you haven't told the girls. I think I can do something. How about a guest seminar on attacks and sieges including practical demonstrations?" Max suggested, her grin widening.

"I think that would be well placed, I'll call the girls. You make this school proud."

"It would be my pleasure. I missed the chaos this place holds so dear."

* * *

Max's seminar had the girls listening to every word. Picking a subject that interested the girls had been a good idea. Showing off some of her skills had definitely helped. She even wandered around the school with them following suggesting places to defend from.

She told them of psychological warfare: taunts, chants and battle songs. Sometimes the sound of the enemy beating their weapons against their shield caused fleeing.

Finally she did drills, forming the girls into ranks and practicing how they would act. Much like old armies they had a two rank system, the first group would fire, then get out of the way and reload while the second fired. With two of those on different levels of the main staircase and sandbags ready to be deployed Max knew this would be a good battle.

She'd given some groups of girls different tasks for other entrances, blow darts mostly, they weren't trained to use anything else but they knew where to go.

Another point she had made was use of a camera. If any attacker showed their face, film it as evidence and make sure there was sound. Once the defenders had won they could use this as a counter attack at a later date.

During this time Max had gotten a good look at the ring and made a clone copy with different numbers, if it was stolen she would be able to know where it was and transform it to normal if she needed it to. The switch took place flawlessly but turned out to be unnecessary. Miss Fritton took her to the side and gave it to her for safe keeping.

* * *

When she was done she retired to the dormitory in the attic with most of the older girls. Miss Fritton told them of the legend. The legend of Fritton's gold. Max was fascinated.

Later as they were discussing what they would do with that kind of money the warning sting attached to a girls toe twitched. Intruders.

"Action stations, this is not a drill. I repeat not a drill!" The girls burst into action, the drills still fresh in their minds. Max sent out clones to observe and intervene if necessary.

The men entered the building unaware of the terror they would face. Each dressed in black, no skin visible, just holding torches. The made a mistake of underestimating these girls.

Darts tipped with the lethal alcohol the girls produced, goop that melted field hockey sticks and of course a bit of leg showing. St Trininas had style.

* * *

With only one mishap in the ranks the girls reigned victorious. Annabelle, the current head girl had been a decent leader during the siege, Max had stepped back to allow her a chance to make up for a mistake and regain the girls' trust. Max had smiled at the use of the newer school theme as a battle song, a haunting song to creep out the attackers. Then the chant as the attackers fled.

It made the Kunoichi proud.

* * *

They retired up to the dorm taking care of the bruises some girls had obtained. Max was still on edge, they had left without much of a fight. Something was wrong with that. Max subtly unsealed her Desert Eagle, the familiar weight back on her hip, covered by her jacket.

"Well they won't be coming back, that's for sure." Annabelle declared, happy with the victory.

"I wouldn't count on it," Max said, hearing the helicopters a few seconds before the others. Max took out her phone and gave it to a girl on a bed. "Keep quiet and record this, remember what I said, focus on anyone with a visible face." Max instructed, the girl nodded solemnly and held it up covertly, the lens just peeking over her blanket.

Max returned to the centre of the room just as the glass skylights shattered, men descending on ropes, no visible weapons on them. The girl screamed. They couldn't help it but they quieted down after the initial shock wore off. Max held her ground her hands in the seal ready for shadow clones should anyone hurt one of these girls.

A rope ladder descended from where a skylight had been, a man descended with it in a pose that screamed 'in charge'. He was Max's target. A quick glance at the girl with her phone showed she was filming him.

"Quite the entrance. Of course, you could have used the front door," Miss Fritton said, killing the dramatic tension. she moved towards the man and placing the lantern on a box near by.

"Yeah. But it wouldn't have looked nearly so cool," the guy said, removing his aviators. Max half expected the classic 'Yeeeeaaaaah' from the beginning of CSI Miami after the Caine one liner. Alas it didn't happen.

"Who are you people?" Miss Fritton asked, she was doing the job Max normally did in this kind of situation, focus all the attention on her.

"We're your worst nightmare."

"You're not The Bee Gee's, Take That."

"Hope you don't mind me dropping in." The man started to walk around scaring the posh totties with a growl. "I'm just here to collect the debt you Frittons have owed for ooh," The man swung round a support beam, showing some dominance of the situation. "Four hundred and twenty years or so."

"Lord Pomfrey."

"Clever girl, Sir Piers Pomfrey to be exact, you must be the ineffable Camilla. Enchante." He kissed Miss Fritton's hand.

"Good heavens surely you're not silly enough to believe that silly old legend about pirates and treasure and all that."

"Of course not." As if that was a code, men grabbed Miss Fritton.

This was where Max stepped in growling. She'd given up on the idea of clones just yet, she wanted to tear this man into shreds herself.

"I believe you're about to make a mistake, Pomfrey," she said, stepping into the light from the helicopters, her hair shimmering ethereally, her eyes lit up enough to see the mismatch in colour. While Pomfrey may have shown control of the situation Max was going to put him in his place.

"Oh really? Do tell." Max stepped forward again getting close to the man and walked around him.

"You threatened this school and the girls in it. I'm one of those girls and I don't take kindly to this. So I'd leave now while you still can."

"Aw, such a shame I don't take orders from girls." Max suppressed her growl, she was an adult dammit. She withdrew from his vicinity to a few arms lengths away.

"You know, sometimes I get asked which side I'm on. Good or bad. The answer is neither, I'm the girl with the gun." Max said with a smirk, swiftly drawing her Desert Eagle and pointing it directly at Pomfrey who's eyes widened at the sight of the gun. A couple of girls gasped. "I'm also the girl with the ring." She held up the fake in her other hand. "I think I hold all the cards here not you despite all you're prancing around. I'll say it again. Leave." Max said, she wanted to force his hand, know exactly how far he would go for the piece of metal.

"I think I'll even those odds," Pomfrey said, some of his men drew pistols and grabbed the nearest girls, holding the guns to their head. "If you shoot then so will they, you can't hit all of them."

There was a pregnant pause, no one made a sound, no one moved. Max was quickly assessing the situation in her mind. Her priority here was the girls safety. She faked a defeated sigh.

"So we're at an impasse. If I were to give you the ring you would leave without harming any of my girls," Max said calmly, showing she had not given up fully but was willing to make a deal.

"Why I would have done that earlier, all that threatening was easily avoidable." Max lowered her gun, not holstering it, and held the ring out to Pomfrey.

"No!" Annabelle called out.

"Are lives really worth a ring?" Max asked. "You need to get your priorities straight." Pomfrey took the offered ring and inspected it with a cocky smirk.

"I do hope we never meet again, for your sake." Pomfrey stepped back onto the ladder which ascended along with the rest of the men.

"If we do then one of us won't be leaving," Max said darkly, loudly enough for them all to hear. There was silence in the room as the helicopters flew away. Max left the room she had the next part to prepare for, this was not the end.

"Why did you give away the ring! How can you call yourself a Saint Trinian when you give up? You could have just shot him instead of threatening." Max glared at Annabelle, the girl had followed her from the room.

"I did what was necessary. I needed to see how far he would go." Max explained, she went over to the girl to retrieve her phone.

"But you gave up the ring."

"This ring?" Max said holding up the real one. "You need to stop worrying about this. Seriously, it's not healthy. "

"But-"

"Have you ever killed someone Annabelle?"

"No!"

"But you think I should have?"

"Well-" Max growled at the girl, moving until she was in Annabelle's face.

"The answer is no. Sir Piers was obviously high up in a food chain, if he died then shite would hit the fan. I needed him to believe that I was giving the real one, hence the gun, showing I was prepared to use force to keep it. It also forced his hand so I could see how far he would go. I've been planning and carrying out operations like this since I was six. I _know_ what I am doing."

"Why haven't you told the others you handed over a fake?"

"They don't need to know. The less people who know of the deception the better. If the girls relax because they know we have the ring then Pomfrey will know something's up. We need them to fight as if we lost today."

"Okay." Max smiled, Annabelle was finally getting this.

* * *

That morning Miss Frittion addressed the girls as they stood around the staircase. The rousing speech had the school cheering. Even Max couldn't have done better.

"… I'm going treasure hunting. Who's with me?" She finished to the girls cheers, they stomped their feet and banged their hockey sticks.

St Trinians was not going to roll over for anyone.

Sadly this is where Max would leave them though, she had other places to be and was not going to guide them the whole way. She would how ever leave a clone just in case Pomfrey came back. She also left the ring in Annabelle's hands, trusting her to make the right decisions as head girl, and the video that had been recorded that night with instructions to use it if it looked like he was winning.

* * *

A few days later Max and Alex were waiting at Liverpool street station when Max noticed some St Trinians girls exiting a train. She followed, dragging Alex with her, just in time to see the beginning of a flash mob, St Trinian style. With some girls playing 'We got the beat' by the Go Gos and the rest dancing everyone had stopped to watch.

"They're covering for something," Max whispered looking around the upper floor of the station. "Men in black, on the balconies, watching."

"These are your school mates?"

"Yes. See some of them moving. This is a cover, drawing everyone's attention so a few girls can get clear, they know they're being watched. Pomfrey you bastard. Come on, we need to help them." With that Max disappeared ready to run interference as she followed the girls.

They ended up at the Globe Theatre, at a production of Romeo and Juliet, for some reason staring Miss Fritton and some guy. Max could see Pomfrey in the crowd, she would follow him if he moved to try something. Alex just went along for the ride really, glad that for once it wasn't him getting into trouble.

At the end of the play Pomfrey moved to backstage finding a tunnel and following it unaware that he was being followed. Max almost acted when Pomfrey drew his weapon pointing it at Annabelle.

"…So be a dear and hand of the manuscript. I must say I did expect that silver haired brat to be here though."

"You mean me?" Max said, her own weapon out and pointing at him. "I believe I promised one of us wouldn't be leaving the next time we met, but I don't want to scar my girls so I'll take a rain check."

"You girls will not get the best of me."

"You don't have a choice." Max said coldly.

What happened next was a bit of a blur. Pomfrey drew another gun pointed it at Max and fired hitting her in the chest. Max, having seen the beginning movement prior to being shot, aimed for his leg, clipping it with her own bullet, aiming to disable not kill. She crumpled back from the chest shot, lying there for a few seconds before getting back up to Pomfrey's shock as well as everyone elses. She disarmed him a bit too forcefully, breaking his nose in the process. She stashed the guns in her waistband after flicking the safety on, she kept her own gun trained on the man.

"After about the sixth time I got shot I invested in Kevlar." Actually it was after Itachi almost killed her, and it was the same enhanced stuff he had worn making it infinitely thinner, lighter and more flexible, but Pomfrey didn't need to know that. "That's still going to bruise though," she muttered rubbing the spot. "I believe now would be the ideal time for you girls to broadcast that video, and if any of you remembered my lesson then perhaps you recorded this meeting too."

One of the girls retrieved a phone that had been partially hidden on a shelf.

"First thing we did," Annabelle said proudly.

"Right then, I think this calls for some on-the-scene training, who knows how to tie someone up thoroughly?"

* * *

Hopefully that was easy to follow.

Max's mood swings will be explained eventually, no she isn't pregnant.

For now please review, the next chapter is done so that will be up in a week or less, depends on how impatient I get.


	26. Wow, using kids, that's so original

Ok this may get a bit confusing as time supposedly has passed for one of the crossovers. Well, imagine it hasn't.

Updates may or may not increase in frequency, I seem to be on a roll but I don't want to post everything at once.

* * *

Max bid Alex goodbye later that day. She'd done what she had to do and so she needed to go back to D.C. Alex had decided to stay with Jack, his ex-guardian while the woman recovered.

She never got to the airport. She'd stopped to get a drink on the way when her phone had rung. Unknown number.

"Rho here," she said, sticking to English for the moment. No one had called her in Japanese for a while.

"This is Mrs Jones, MI6." Max took the phone away from her ear and ended the call. She was not in the mood for a bitch trying to one up her. Her phone rang again. This time Alex's number.

"What?"

"I know you wanted to get back to your friends but please listen, Mrs Jones really needs your help. A branch of MI5 are about to send a bunch of kids undercover into a religious cult. MI6 don't like this idea, these kids don't have the training that we've had."

"So why me?"

"Your reputation precedes you, and you do kinda owe me for keeping quiet back in Atlantis."

"So this means that much to you that you're calling in that favour."

"I get a favour for MI6 and we're square, it's all good."

"I suppose they can live without me for a little while longer, where do I need to go?"

"Royal and General on Liverpool Street."

"Whatever," Max sighed ending the call. She bought her drink and took a swig as she walked back to her bike. Religious cult, that could be interesting, but the undercover part ruined any fun Max was looking for.

* * *

It was pretty late when Max turned up. While she was in England and old enough she was stocking up on alcohol amongst other things. She'd also wanted a decent meal before going off to who knows where.

Someone was stood outside the bank looking around every so often. Max grinned and snuck up behind the man taking of her helmet as she walked, she had been over looked because of the bike.

"I don't suppose you work for the Royal and General?" Max asked cheekily.

"That's none of your business."

"I was called here so yes it is my business."

"You're Rho?"

"No, I-" Max started to say sarcastically. "… you know what forget it, I'm not dignifying that with a response any more." Max said, tired of people asking that, she held up her ID anyway.

"Mrs Jones is expecting you."

"She better be."

"Do you always have something to say?"

"Yes." The man didn't look impressed at her response. "You asked."

* * *

Gaara was woken up by his phone receiving a text. He read it, his mind taking a while to adjust to the English characters.

_Got caught up in a mission, very important. Heading to Australia, keep an eye on 'The Survivors' cult. Be back later. _

_Max_

Gaara couldn't bring himself to be surprised. He would ask Abby if she knew who the Survivors were, or what cult was for that matter.

* * *

Max didn't stay long at the Royal and General, just enough to be briefed on CHREUB and the mission. Mrs Jones was obviously displeased with the whole idea of the mission but she couldn't call a stop to it, only send in her own agent.

That's where Rho came in, apparently higher ups had been trading stories about her, leading to some infamy within agencies. Max was a bit sceptical of that idea, she'd hoped to stay anonymous but she supposed it was a side effect of the work she did. So much for no pimping.

After hearing the absolute bare bones of the plan Max only had one though. 'This is going to go down like Waco.' Unfortunately she didn't know if the Waco siege had happened in this universe so couldn't use it as an example of how this could go wrong.

She couldn't take her bike where she was going so it was stored in an underground carpark. The same man who had met with her outside the bank was ready to drive her to the CHREUB campus.

The drive itself was in uncomfortable silence, the windows were tinted on the inside and there was a screen between her and the front seats. They really didn't want people to find this place. Unfortunately Max would inevitably cheat and find out anyway, they didn't need to know that though.

She was met just outside a building, they had left normal traffic about five minutes back so Max assumed she was on the campus. A man stepped forward to greet her.

"You must be Rho. I'm Dr McAfferty, chairman of CHERUB. I'll make this short so you can get some sleep. Briefing will be at 9 am tomorrow morning. Anything you see here is classified. There will be a white t-shirt in your room, you need to wear that around campus. Chloe here will show you to your room and escort you tomorrow."

"Whatever." If they thought she was going to fall neatly in line then they were mistaken. Max almost made it her goal to get around at least one of the guidelines she'd just been given, except the secrecy, that she understood.

The next morning Max woke up early, she'd given up any pretence of a regular sleep cycle long ago. She got dressed in her own stuff ignoring the clothes laid out for her, she would let them puzzle over how later as she appeared to have no bag. Then she took a look at the white t-shirt on the dresser thinking up how she should wear it. From the size of it they had expected someone taller than her, and definitely not as skinny. Max knew she needed to eat regularly but time always seemed to be lacking.

She finally decided to tie the t-shirt around her waist letting the majority of it hang like part of a skirt including the part with the logo. She was not there to be a good influence.

The woman who had shown her to her room, Chloe, knocked on her door at 8 am sharp. She was a bit taken aback by Max's appearance but didn't feel like she could say anything. Max did look intimidating even early in the morning.

Chloe escorted her to the canteen area, kids were already there eating breakfast looking half asleep.

"I half expected you to be like them this morning," Chloe admitted, trying to make small talk.

"I may be a teenager but I'll never be normal, even compared to these kids."

"How so?"

"That probably isn't something to discuss at breakfast. Or ever." Max doubted that any of the kids had killed as many as her or even trained as long.

There was some silence as they ate, Max tried to show some decorum but was failing.

"Mac wanted me to show you the Dojo before the briefing. Apparently you don't believe these kids are well trained."

"I don't. That's why I'm here."

"The next session should have started, we can watch that."

"Go for it." The two women cleaned up their breakfast and headed out to the Japanese style building down a small road. Chloe had decided to take one of the golf buggies while Max enjoyed the jog next to her. It kept her warm in the chilly weather.

Miss Takada, the dojo instructor acknowledged then with a slight nod without slipping up in her talk. Max knelt at the side of the mats respectfully, both having removed their footwear at the entrance, while Chloe remained standing.

As she watched, Max analysed their moves, she couldn't help but figure out how to counter them, it was her nature. It did take some degree of restraint not to get up and show them.

There was a pause after the kids had been practicing a move where Miss Takada motioned Max forward.

"Discipline?"

"Eclectic style." Max said, smirking at the confused looks on the kids faces. Miss Takada understood what Max meant and nodded, there was no point asking what grade as eclectic was a personal thing.

"Demonstration?" Max looked to Chloe who nodded, they had a bit of time. Max got up and stepped onto the mats, facing Miss Takada. They both bowed then took up their own opening stances.

With this spar Max only showed enough to keep the upper hand without making it look too easy. She didn't use any chakra and deliberately underpowered her moves, she didn't want to put their teacher out of action or they would never learn.

The spar came to an end and they both bowed again, neither of then showing any fatigue. Max felt the kids were suitably awed of her from the gapping faces.

"Good mix." Miss Takada said approvingly.

"Thank you. My teacher didn't believe I could effectively use only one style." Yuri had tried, but Max would bastardise it to suit her, so Yuri had given up and taught her several different ones to mix up. Max had taken all the best bits to form her own unique adaptive style.

"We need to get going or we'll be late for the briefing," Chloe informed her from the side lines. Max followed her slipping her boots back on at the door, Chloe had been surprised at her mobility in the chunky boots on the way to the dojo. When Max had been sparing she had picked them up only to find they weighed more than she had assumed. Max was just full of surprises.

* * *

There were already people in the briefing room when Max and Chloe turned up. Two girls and a boy were sat in chairs in front of a desk. Max recognised the boy as James from a while back in London. Both girls looked like they could be related to him. Chloe left Max there, she had her own things to deal with for this mission.

Max chuckled when she heard what the kids were talking about. James had apparently been hammered last night and irritated one of the girls who then poured salsa over him when he passed out.

"And that's why you need a good alcohol tolerance," Max said, alerting them to her presence. The reaction was a bit funny, the half-hearted karate stances while still remaining seated.

"Who are you and how did you get in?" one of the girls demanded. James took a while but he recognised her.

"Calm down Lauren, she's a good guy, she even has the white shirt." Lauren noticed what was tied around Max's waist and went red.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't worry. I'm surprised you remember me James."

"John was talking about you for weeks after you and your friends took down those assassins." The girls perked up at the last word.

"When were you on a mission that involved assassins?" the other girl asked.

"That is absolutely none of your business kid. It was only chance that he was in the building when they turned up." The still unnamed girl frowned at the reprimand and being called kid.

"Still doesn't answer the question of who you are though," the girl said haughtily.

"Try asking politely and I'll consider answering," Max replied, she heard the door open behind her and the kids shuffled around in their seats a bit

"Or you could all stop behaving like kids." A male voice said. Max turned to face him, noting the woman next to him.

"John Jones. Fancy seeing you here."

"I wasn't expecting you. I believe you had a different name back then Rho." Max pouted she'd wanted to wind the kids up for a bit longer.

"Just one of many, I have to stick to Rho for now, it's what my ID says."

They got on with the briefing, the woman with John was an Aussie by the name of Abigail Sanders who would be posing as the kids mother. Each of them were handed a small file to read over. It had some background on the Survivors and the mission objectives.

Max would be there to follow them to the Ark if they got in, the Ark being a huge compound in the Australian outback that was the base of the Survivors cult. Her job there would be to look out for the kids seeing as they would be isolated from the rest of civilisation with no back up.

Max had hated the idea of this mission, it seemed even worse on paper. There was no way to get this cancelled so going along was probably for the best.

At least she wasn't actually undercover so she could screw with people when she got to the Ark. She'd been dying to creep people out with her death god form and this seemed perfect. Though if they were religious nuts that probably wasn't the best course of action.

* * *

The NCIS team were worried with what they had dug up on the Survivors. While there was nothing too bad on paper, some of it seemed too out of whack. A report told them of the brainwashing that happened, then the forced dependency making it difficult to leave. There was precious little other than that which wasn't propaganda.

DiNozzo's phone rung while they were writing up reports for their latest case, he recognised Max's number and picked up immediately, putting it on speaker phone.

"Rho?"

"'Sup? I don't have much time, I'm in Singapore waiting for my next flight. You may know I'm heading to Australia?"

"Gaara did mention that, didn't seem too happy about it though."

"I'll make it up to him. Anyway I just wanted to let you know I'm not trying to avoid you or anything, I was needed to help with a few issues. Look up Piers Pomfrey and you'll find out why." DiNozzo was tapping away it his keyboard with the search putting it up on the plasma screen.

The latest link was a news site, two videos. DiNozzo clicked the first one to play it, his eyes widening at the mass of girls in the frame.

"Don't spend too much time ogling the girls," Max chided much to the teams amusement. There was silence as the video played and once it was finished DiNozzo clicked the next one. It was only when Max heard the shot she remembered exactly what had happened.

"You got shot. Again."

"Occupational hazard, I'm fine, I was wearing body amour. Just got roped into another job."

"I don't like the look of the Survivors."

"Neither do I but I don't want the undercover agents to screw this up so it ends up like Waco. I need to go now, I'm not supposed to be contacting anyone. I'll contact you once it's safe to talk again." There was a dial tone telling them that Max had hung up. DiNozzo ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"At least she told us about getting shot instead of leaving us to find out and draw our own conclusions," McGee said.

"It just feels a bit weird. What would you be like if you had a sister and she did some of the stuff that Rho does?"

"Sarah wouldn't-" McGee cut of his own sentence realising what he'd just said.

"Sarah? You have a sister?" DiNozzo grinned at this new bit of information.

* * *

I was watching a video on the Waco, Texas siege in psychology a while back when I realised I'd read something similar before, CHERUB: divine madness. I had to put it in.

Please review.


	27. Send me an angel

Well, it's finally happened, I'm now legally considered an adult, 4th of August (tis for me anyway, might still be a few hours away for some of you guys)

Anyway, here's a chapter for you guys as my way of celebrating.

* * *

It had been about two weeks when Lauren and James were invited to the Ark. One of the cult leaders wanted James out of sight after an incident and he had refused to go without Lauren. Dana, the other agent apparently had some other 'path'.

So anyway, Max was trying to keep hidden on a small aircraft headed to the Ark. Magic came in really handy with the notice-me-not charm coupled with invisibility that her technique provided.

The two CHERUBs had been told the bare minimum of her abilities. Max would be their contact with the outside world so they needed to know some things about how she operated. They'd prearranged a signal if she needed to talk to them.

Other than that Max had half a dozen invisible clones exploring the Ark, a few stuck to a specific person while others just wandered. Max would either coordinate her clones of stick to one of the agents. She had been so tempted to slap the back of James head when he agreed to look at girls in the shower. The kid he was with was observant though, he would notice.

The punishment did seem harsh, Max didn't care about the spanking part, it was a shame no one was around for her to giggle at the concept with her. The second part of the punishment was about five hours in a metal shed known as the sweat box. Max took pity on them and cast a small cooling charm on it before going to see if Lauren had gotten into trouble yet.

* * *

Weeks passed by, Max was constantly reminded why she didn't like religion. When she had found the stash of weapons she knew this was going to end up a lot like Waco, she'd quickly been on the radio to Chloe who was the mission controller for them.

One of her clones destroyed itself telling her something was going down now the one that had been following Lauren had overheard an interesting conversation then the subsequent radio conversation with Chloe. She had till 8 pm get the CHREUBs out. Then there would be the horrible loss of life from both sides. The ASIS, Australian secret intelligence service, and the Survivors.

Unless… Max had a brainwave. It would make up for all the boredom and screw with people.

A bit later another clone dissipated telling her that the kid who Lauren and James had been hanging around with would be joining them. Max decided to follow them personally, she needed real time information.

She caught up with them at Joel Regan, the leader of the cult's bedside. Death bed would be more precise. The kids were trying to plan their escape. Max tapped both CHERUBS on the shoulder three times to let them know she was there.

"Is it me or does it feel like someone's watching us," the extra kid said, Max was a bit unnerved that he was looking straight at her. Max sighed and released her invisibility, the kid would find out anyway and it made her job easier.

"Don't ask about it kid. You guys need to escape right? I can give you a distraction, I can even distract the Spider for you." 'The Spider' was the eldest daughter of Joel, she was another religious nutcase, obviously inherited from her father.

"Ho-"

"I said don't ask kid, just keep moving, I'm going to try to save this place from total destruction. I need to set up some things first."

"How will we know when the distraction is?" Lauren asked

"Three taps, the usual."

* * *

By the time Max was ready an alert had already been called, the three kids were under supervision with some toddlers. Max had a clone ready to snap them out of what she was about to do. She'd tried to call up Chloe on the radio but couldn't get though.

She stood in the large court yard and sent out a large wave of chakra laced with a compulsion charm. Anyone who felt it would feel the need to get out to see her. The three taps would stop the kids from complying with it.

As more people became visible Max started some creative work. She started to emit a small layer of chakra to give her the appearance of glowing. She formed some chakra into tendrils the sprouted from her back into a vague wing shape glowing a pale blue. A slight Henge had her eyes completely white and gleaming and her clothes changed to flowing white robes. Just to add to it she was floating a few inches off the ground.

A few people gasped at her appearance and Max could hear them wondering if she was an angel.

"My children," Max started, her voice louder and echoey. "Today is a day of change. Joel Regan has completed the work set to him by the almighty father and is receiving his reward." All of the crowd's attention was now completely focused on her. "The pressure of being His almighty messenger is great on a mortal being and the message is now tangled. He has chosen Eleanor Regan to spread the message made once again pure. The devils are not to be ostracised. You must save them. You must save all of His children."

Eleanor had made her way to the courtyard and tenderly approached Max. "You will do well child. He has faith. Don't send his children underground now, it is not their time. You will survive this, standing strong without violence. May his faith guide you," Max said. She took a few steps back, in the distance she could hear the helicopters approaching and knew she needed to wrap this up.

"Lay down your weapons for He has **spoken**," she commanded. A shockwave emanating from Max lifted some dust into the air which began to swirl around her before being blasted outwards. The people began to lay down the weapons they had been issued just as the helicopter flew into sight.

"I must now shed my mortal image to return to our father. May you all receive His love everlasting. Go out in His name!" Max shouted making dust rise around her again. Something struck her from behind, the crack of a gun told her she had just been shot, a hand felt over where the impact had been and her fingers felt liquid.

The Tactical Assault Group (TAG) obviously saw her as dangerous. "Peace children. It is my time to go," Max said, gasping for breath, the few who had reached for a weapon stopped. She wished she'd kept on her bullet proof stuff and just dealt with the excessive heat.

The pained seemed delayed when it blossomed in her back. Max fell to one knee, her head feeling fuzzy. Realising she would soon lose consciousness she made a hand sign, activating many seals dotted around the compound. Each released sleeping gas into the room and surrounding area. The people outside were not unaffected, Max had started a genjutsu with the beginning of her speech so they were within seconds of sleep themselves.

Max forced herself to stay conscious as she lay on the dirt, if her clone disappeared now then the kids would get affected by the genjutsu and they would be thought of as part of the cult.

The second everyone was asleep Max released her grip on everything, genjutsu first so it was safe to drop her clones, and then her illusions dropped, returning her to her normal appearance. She could feel feet running towards her, pounding on the dried out dirt.

"Rho!" She felt something being pressed up against her back.

"S'ok, 'm good." Max mumbled. She tried to smile. "I'm so going to hell for that," she said half muffled by the dirt.

"You've just been shot."

"No, shit."

"Figures she'd be able to say that coherently," James muttered.

"Chloe's heading over here, one of the helicopters has been ordered to get us out of here." Lauren said, trying to reassure Max but it was a bit late, Max had lost consciousness.

* * *

The story on the Survivor's Ark hit the news world wide. Many people were saying it was a miracle no one was hurt. It was a lie but the public didn't need to know that. A lot of people from the Ark were arrested, it was easy enough to do while they were asleep.

DiNozzo's phone rang, a blocked number but he answered it, his eyes glued to the news like the rest of the team.

"Is this Anthony DiNozzo?" asked a woman with a British accent, much to DiNozzo's puzzlement.

"Yes, who is this and why are you calling me?"

"My name is Chloe. You were the last called number on Rho's phone-"

"Rho? Why isn't she calling then? Did something go wrong? Is she ok?" Some of the team looked up briefly at the mention of Max's alias.

"She's in hospital, she was shot-"

"Which hospital?" This grabbed everyone's attention.

"Townsville Hospital in Queensland." DiNozzo hung up, McGee had been listening and had already looked up the next flight to that area.

* * *

Being shot in the arm felt like a paper cut compared to being shot in the back Max thought as she drifted through her psych. She wasn't quite sure why she was still aware, even if it was in her mind. She'd first gone to the exit only to find it barred. Instead she wandered around her primarily unconscious mind.

She ignored the three rooms labelled ID, Ego and Superego, she really didn't want to know what was in those but it was reassuring to know they existed. Max had to wonder if they had always existed or were formed on her knowledge of Freud's theory of the mind.

A look at the room that was supposed to contain all her weird fantasies, different from her desires stored in the ID room, had a note. 'Renovations in progress'. Why were renovations going on in her own mind? That made no sense!

With nothing interesting to do Max went to visit her furry friend. The shichibi had been sleeping.

'Had'. It's hard to sleep when someone imagines a huge tub of water above your head, then disappears the tub. Max knew that from personal experiences.

"What do you want brat?" the wolf growled, seven tails lashing out menacingly only to hit barriers Max imagined when they got too close.

"Trying to figure out what's going on."

"You almost died, stupid human." Max ignored the 'stupid human' comment out of reflex, any species seemed to view humans as stupid so she'd learnt to block it out.

"Almost? I suppose that's better than actual death. How long until I can wake up?"

"You could wake up now if you really wanted, I only blocked it because of the pain you would be in. That door works both ways, lets your thoughts out and your physical feelings in." Max raised an eyebrow, that was uncharacteristically nice for a demon.

"How long until you suggest I should wake up?"

"A couple of days, luckily for you time in your mind is not relative to time in real life."

"Wanna watch a few of my memories on the silver screen?"

"If it will pass the time without you dumping more water on me, then sure."

* * *

Three days after the events at the Ark and Max had quite the entourage in the waiting room waiting for her to heal. Gaara felt that Tsunade should be informed of Max's condition. Naruto had been bugging Tsunade when the message had arrived.

That how Laura and Louise had found out, then by proxy anyone else who frequented their house. Tsunade had flat out refused to let _all_ of them go.

So that was why Laura, Naruto and Itachi were currently in Australia.

Alex was there as well, he'd felt a bit responsible for her being placed in that situation. He'd managed to get a message to Haku who had travelled from Atlantis to visit and help heal.

The CHERUBs had visited a few times, Chloe wanted to hear Max's take on the mission while the kids just wanted to know she would be ok.

What was funny was that none of the groups knew they were waiting for the same person. Haku had gone straight to helping Max so couldn't break the ice between Alex and the ninjas which the others would have been listening in to and figured out the connection.

* * *

Done. Hopefully no one was too offended by any pisstake on religion this chapter may have contained.

Man that was fun to write though. Most of this chapter was inspired by my psychology lessons. Watching the thing on Waco gave me the inspiration for Max pretending to be an angel. I was tempted for her to blow the whole place up, but Max isn't the kind of girl to repeat her actions and she'd already blown up Forks.

The ID, Ego and SuperEgo = Freud's theory of the human mind, the ID contains your desires, the SuperEgo contains your common sense and your Ego balances them. Freud also reckons that everyone has sex on the brain and that all women have penis envy. Yay for random facts.

Reviews are most welcome.


	28. Cruel to be kind

Pubs are interesting. First time I went I didn't get ID'd either time I went to get a drink. I don't exactly look 18 (or even 16).

Oh and I saw Inception, I now want to see it again though my motive is different: the guys were hot. It's a shame it would be almost impossible to crossover into TTP, I'd need to try to fit the plots together and it'd have to be in a different univ- ooh, I wonder... hmmm

As I may have said in a previous chapter, FFNET was a bastard and took out all of my partitions, and with over 100 chapter to have to sort out and revise in general you'll have to bare with me and I thank you for dealing with it up to this point.

And for the record I love each and every review I get, and I'm always open to suggestions.

* * *

It was six days after the Ark Max finally woke up. She then promptly rolled over and tried to pretend she'd never woken up. The mismatched group of her associates were crammed into her room, all giving each other weird looks. She did not want to explain this now.

"Max?" Laura tried. She recognised the look Max had briefly shown and shooed everyone else out.

"It's Rho at the moment," Max mumbled. She turned over again, trying to get comfortable but gave up and sat up rubbing at the bandaged area.

"Back to using Greek letters then."

"Never stopped using them."

"You want to talk?"

"No, I want to ask a few questions. First being, why is Itachi here? He almost killed me."

"You two used to try to kill each other all the time, at least one of you two would be in hospital every month."

"That was sparring, completely different." Max waved it off.

"He's permanently off any deep cover missions. Akatsuki has been fully disbanded, apparently a few members are dead."

"How?"

"No one knows. You remember the rumours of Murdock though, all surviving members remember seeing her." Laura was looking at Max suspiciously not really believing it wasn't Max.

"I thought she was just stealing the rings," Max said, then she went cold realising _exactly_ what she had just said.

"How do you know she was stealing the rings?"

"I think I'm tired, I have no idea why I said that," Max lied, stifling a yawn. "Maybe she told me one of time I saw her. My heads still a bit fuzzy from the painkillers." Max could tell that Laura wasn't sure about her story but was willing to accept it for the moment. Max had never been so glad Laura believed in evidence before accusation.

"Do you want to see any of the others?" Laura asked, Max understood the subtle hint.

"I guess I do need to explain a few things, you can let them all back in before they start trading stories about me."

Once again the room was crowded but more at ease. Max guessed they had been talking. She swallowed to calm her nerves, her mind was blank. How was she supposed to do this?

"Uh, I suppose I never realised this many people cared that I got shot so um… any questions?" Max said trying to shrink into her bed as everyone's attention was on her.

"How many times have you been shot?" James asked. Max sighed, figures the kid would ask that. She saw the way people were looking at her and wasn't sure if she should actually tell them the exact number.

"More times than you, next question."

"Why weren't you wearing body amour?" DiNozzo asked.

"I was dying in the heat. I didn't think I would get shot at by the nutters, and I was right. Who did shoot me?" Max asked narrowing her eyes.

"On of the TAG teams got a bit too trigger happy. Thought you were going to lead the Survivor's assault." Chloe explained sheepishly.

"Figures I'd get shot by my own side. I have another question, how did all of you know I'd been shot?" Max asked, she knew why the CHREUBs knew but they were the only people who should have known.

"I called the last saved number you called on your phone which was Mr DiNozzo," Chloe admitted.

"_Gaara sent a message to Tsunade so we found out_," Naruto said in Japanese shrugging.

"Mrs Jones told me and I got Haku."

"Wow, I'm touched. I really am. Now you guy know I'm fine I think I need to talk to a few people in private since they're here. DiNozzo you stay, others please leave." The room was once again down to two people.

"You really get around."

"I'm just glad L didn't turn up as well. So, what do you think of my motley bunch of people, ranging from work mates to practically family, especially considering they're only a small fraction of it?"

"Well now I know why the team doesn't faze you." There was a bit of silence, both wondering how exactly to bring up the subject without making it awkward. "Uh, so do your 'practically family' know we're possibly related?"

"Other than Gaara and your team nope, no one knows. I haven't had the time to tell them. I suppose they should know."

"Any warnings you want to give?" DiNozzo was asking about one of the guys being an Ex or something.

"Most of them could kill you and leave not only no evidence but absolutely no links. Laura's going to want to make sure we are actually related with her own DNA test, I suppose I want to confirm it too. She was the one who kicked you all out. Her jobs actually really similar to yours."

"What about the others? How do you know them?"

"Naruto is the other old blond, he's a bit protective. I suppose he's just returning the favour. Me 'n' Laura rescued him when we were kids. Itachi's the guy with long hair, he's… complicated. Those three I've know since we were kids." Max paused to drink, it felt good to tell someone this stuff.

"Alex, well I met him when someone was trying to assassinate him, then later we worked together. He's the reason I went to England in the first place. The blond kids, they're classified really along with Chloe, they're also the reason I'm in Australia. Then there's Haku who's just walking in the door." DiNozzo looked to see someone who he assumed was a girl.

"Well hello there." DiNozzo said suavely with a flirty grin. Max had to hold in her giggles while Haku just had an amused smile as he started to check Max's vitals.

"Before you get too into hitting on my doctor, please take note he is in fact a guy," Max informed him before it got too out of hand.

"Seriously?"

"What can I say? I know weird people," Max said with a dramatic sigh.

"I'm no weirder than you. Does _Psychology for dummies_ ring a bell?" Haku reproached. Max was glad he didn't mention any of her other weird habits, like killing people.

"I needed a non-violent hobby and a way to amuse my self. Two birds with one stone," Max said defensively.

"What's- no I don't think I want to know," DiNozzo said, when the other two shook their heads.

"Hey Haku, do you know any DNA comparison things?" Max asked curiously, wondering if she could get this settled here and now so she could get some proof for Laura.

"Yes. Why?"

"You might want to get Laura and Naruto in here for this." DiNozzo figured out Max wanted to tell them.

"Not Itachi?" Haku asked, he knew he'd been out of the loop for a while so wasn't exactly sure what had been happening.

"Not at the moment." Max didn't elaborate so Haku didn't press it, instead he summoned the two blonds.

"This is going to sound very bizarre to you two but keep listening anyway. I broke my arm a while back in some backwater place, they couldn't access my records so ran a DNA test to find a possible relative." Max paused to let it sink in and sipped at her drink again. Laura figured it out first as she repeated it in Japanese for Naruto's sake.

"They got a hit? That's impossible," Laura said frowning.

"That's what I said too, Haku's here to either confirm or deny this here and now with witnesses and the match."

"Wait." Laura turned to DiNozzo. "You could be related to Ma-Rho?"

"Seems that way."

"Haku, if you would. By the way DiNozzo, nothing you see in here leaves this room."

"Can I have a hair from each of you?" There were identical winces as they both pulled out a hair and held them out. Haku held them in one gloved hand, not wanting even the slightest chance of contamination. He held a glowing hand over the two hairs. DiNozzo's eyes were wide in confusion but he didn't question it.

A few moments passed in silent anticipation. Finally Haku finished, the glow fading from his hand.

"There's a 99 percent chance you two have one common parent," Haku announced, Laura once again translating for Naruto.

"Well, that's solved, now to figure out how that even possible." Max grumbled. More work to do. Haku ushered everyone else out citing the fact Max needed her rest.

* * *

It was pretty much dark when Max felt someone sneak into her room. She threw some kunai on recognition of the person. They never hit the intended target.

"_Get out_," she hissed in Japanese. Itachi didn't move, just held the kunai a few inches from his heart where he'd caught them. Max would have followed it up with an attack but she was still attached to various tubes and wires.

"_Listen to me first_."

"_Why should I_?"

"_Because I would hate to have to blackmail you __**Murdock**__._" He threw the kunai back at her, making sure she could catch them easily.

"_I'm not Murdock. I was in a padded white cell_."

"_I know, I rescued you. Orochimaru had you, originally, you were unconscious for the whole trip to Konoha. But do you want to know something __**interesting**__? Orochimaru had detailed notes on you, what drugs he had you on and __**when**_." Max was panicking, if he was implying what she thought he was implying then she was sunk.

"_There were a few months missing between my return to Akatsuki and his records. They weren't missing though, they never existed because you weren't there. That leaves a few months when you could have been doing anything, letting everyone believe you were dead. I believe that makes you as bad as me when it comes to lying_." Max was cornered and they both knew it.

"_Fine. Since you went to so much effort. Talk_." Max hissed, still glaring at him.

"_Laura's probably told you I'm no longer on deep cover missions. That means we'll both be in Konoha-" _Max snorted_. "Or I could tell Laura everything if you chose not to return. I just want to make sure you can deal with not killing me on a daily basis. Our relationship will probably never fully recover but I would like to at least try, especially considering I was trying to protect you while undercover. Akatsuki never did find out who the holder of the shichibi was_."

"_I don't need protecting_."

"_Which is why you're in the hospital bed_," Itachi snorted.

"_Completely unrelated_."

"_Had Orochimaru known you had the shichibi he could have sold you out to the Akatsuki some way or another. I spent time planting misinformation that could have blown my cover_."

"_That would never have happened if it wasn't for your deep cover_."

"_What about during the chunin exams?_" Max gritted her teeth, what had she done to deserve this karma backlash?

"_So what do you want me to say?"_ Max growled. "_Thank you? Then thank you for saving my apparently ungrateful behind. Happy now?_"

The door to Max's room opened and DiNozzo burst in, gun drawn and pointing at Itachi.

"I heard arguing. I think it was arguing anyway, it was raised voices," DiNozzo explained looking at Max to see if she was ok.

"_I didn't know you were going for old guys now._" Max twitched, resistingthe urge to throw more sharp objects st Itachi. He must be pissed off, he never went for that kind of blow. She motioned for DiNozzo to lower his gun.

"_Itachi, get out._" Itachi shook his head, refusing to budge.

"Wow, the tension in here is thick. Did you two date or something?" DiNozzo had no idea how right he was.

"It's nothing to worry about. Itachi was just giving me some news that affected me." No lies there, just a bit of stretched truth. Max couldn't remember if Itachi had learnt English but it was better to err on the side of caution by saying little.

"Didn't Haku say you were supposed to rest though?"

"Itachi thought it was important for me to know." Max was having some difficulty keeping the contempt out of her voice when she said Itachi's name.

"Okay then, seriously get some rest." Max was glad DiNozzo hadn't tried to kick Itachi out, she really didn't want her new found brother to get his arse kicked.

The two ninjas were alone in the room again.

"_You're a bastard._"

"_I need to be cruel to be kind Maxie-chan._" Max didn't dignify that with a response instead she rolled onto her side facing away from him and tried to get back to sleep.

* * *

There are theories that when you sleep your true desires show through whether in dreams, movements or sleep talking. By the time morning came Itachi knew Max was experiencing conflicting emotions.

Either that or she really hated hospital pillows. Somehow Max had managed to nestle her head in the crook of his shoulder as he sat in a plastic chair near the head of her bed.

"_Just like old times,_" he muttered carding his fingers through her hair. It was painful to see her so jaded, not just against him but everything.

"_I agree, you never could tell when I was awake,"_ Max scoffed trying to tug his arm further onto the bed.

"_I thought you hated me._"

"_I hate the pillows here more._" Itachi was happy to hear that, if he ever became more hated that hospital pillows then he knew there was nothing to be done. At least now he knew there was something to be salvaged. "_Don't push it, I still don't like you._"

* * *

And in the next chapter you find out just why Max is being so bipolar. Feel free to guess: If you get it right then you get a shout-out character, a repeat appearance of your previous shout out character and maybe a drawing of your shout-out character.

As a hint: it's something that happened in Part 3 of TTP.

For anyone with a shout-out character I'll be working on a drawing each for you both and PM you when it's done. It'll be on deviant art.

Arrivederci mein amigos (yes that was three different languages)


	29. Only then can you begin to heal

Not happy, results came today, D's for most of it, I personally don't care, they count as UCAS points which Uni's accept, that's if I still want to go next year. Parents being their usual self though, complainy, guilt tripping and irritable at the mere mention of me wanting to go out with friends. I'm glad I dyed my hair first, it now has green streaks.

I have some backlog of this story but updates will be severely reduced. With any luck I won't have to put it on Hiatus. If I have to implement my back up plan (Actually it's more like first choice at the moment) of joining the RAF and actually getting accepted then there will have to be a hiatus during training.

I will _**never**_ abandon it though. It's my pride and joy.

* * *

With Max's quick recovery her visitors split. Most of them anyway. Itachi refused to leave no matter how many death threats Max tried. Laura and Naruto had gone to England with the CHERUBs and Alex. DiNozzo had to get back to D.C. for work. It would be a few days before Haku would let Max leave. He'd eventually found out the details that he'd missed while in Atlantis.

For the moment Max was sat up in bed flipping though the photo album she'd been given for her birthday, wondering where it all changed. In her mind something just wasn't adding up.

Haku had shooed Itachi out to get some proper food. Apparently hospital food was unfit for healthy people but perfectly fine for sick people. Max had taken the opportunity of solitude to look through the pictures, the first time she'd look though since she'd got it.

She traced her fingers lightly over some of the pictures remembering them. The kiss after she'd stolen his clothes for that dare. She should have figured the girls had orchestrated that encounter. The many times she had curled up with Itachi, he'd always made her feel safe and loved. Max swore Laura had a 'cuteness' radar for this sort of stuff.

Max was engrossed in looking though she didn't notice Itachi returning.

"_And that is one of the reasons your friends scare me._" Max slammed the album shut, she hadn't meant to lose herself in it, let alone get caught.

"_What changed? Everything was fine. Now I'm a wreck. If this had all happened when we were younger than I would have just let it all blow over like it was nothing. So what changed_?" Max asked pleadingly.

"Y_ou changed when you were gone. Just a bit. It's hard to explain,_" Itachi sighed. Max had been a lot more temperamental after returning from her hiatus. She'd also been of her game, not fighting one hundred percent. Itachi wondered if they had the same root. "_Did something happen?_"

"_What didn't happen? Nothing should still be affecting me though,_" Max grumbled idly rubbing her wrist. She realised what she was doing and paused looking at her wrists, the ancient writing had just become so commonplace to see. "_Oh._"

"_New tattoos_?"

"_Not exactly. I pissed some woman off, she sealed half my chakra. That's probably the issue here, I'm pissed at her and so I'm taking it out on everyone else. I feel like such a bitch_." Max moaned miserably, bringing her knees up to her chest, trying to suppress any tears.

"_Don't even think about going into another self-exile,_" Itachi warned her. He wasn't exactly sure on how to deal with crying women but he sat next to her on the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

That was how Haku found them five minutes later. The sight was touching but slightly confusing for the Ice nin. He'd left the two with the hope there wouldn't be bloodshed and now they were like this.

Max looked up, realising they weren't alone anymore. She gave a watery smile as she leant on to Itachi trying to burrow into his chest. He responded by stroking her hair comfortingly.

Haku couldn't help but be happy that things were sorted out between them.

* * *

Max was released a few days later. Haku had been healing the rest of her half-mended injuries that Max had been relying on Shichibi to repair. Max however had been meditating, trying to find the visual manifestation of the block in her mind.

She'd only found it because of the similarity of the layout to her old school. A corridor had been missing, blocked off seamlessly. With a little bit of help from the wolf they tore down the wall resulting in a chakra overload. That had scared the two ninjas with the huge shockwave as Max released the pent up energy.

After that Max had returned to her bouncy self with a healthy glow. Also behind that wall had been a shadowy creature whispering things through the walls to her Ego, freaking the poor thing out causing her mind to see things skewed. While Max couldn't actively destroy it without knowing what it was she did trap it. She hoped it would enjoy Shichibi's company as a chew toy.

Rage isn't that easy to get rid of once you feel it though, Max knew this and so had redirected it. She wanted revenge on that priestess woman for screwing up her life. Only one person was allowed to screw up her life, and that was herself.

Haku didn't see it that way.

"Didn't she seal your chakra because your ancestor screwed up her life?" Haku asked.

"So?"

"Wouldn't it be a little bit counterproductive? She'll hold an even bigger grudge against you."

"Not if she'd dead," Max shrugged casually. She smiled sheepishly at the incredulous look from Haku. "Don't look at me like that. She started it!"

"Max, you're an adult, 'she started it' is no longer a valid reason."

"Is too." Max replied, sticking her tongue out. Haku sighed, shaking his head at her antics.

"_You two are getting some weird looks,_" Itachi informed them. He settled himself on one of the hard chairs that populated the airport and handed Max and Haku a box of Chinese takeaway each before starting on his own.

"_Probably Haku's fault. Thanks._" Max said kissing his cheek. She was going to try to get used to this again, she had promised herself back in California. She managed to completely miss the grin on Haku's face though.

* * *

Haku split from them when they reached D.C. he was going back to Atlantis to continue his work. Max was a bit apprehensive of Itachi and DiNozzo being fully introduced. Gaara was taking everything in his stride. He would have gone to visit Max, but refused to specify why he didn't.

Max got another round of Gaara the leech for the first week. She'd managed to get Itachi his own ID so he could visit NCIS with her, both as visitors, rather than try to avoid the situation and leave him on his own. She would prefer they meet while she was near enough to do any damage control.

The first encounter had been interesting. Ziva had the same look as when she first met Max. None of the others had gotten in yet.

"Who is this?" Ziva asked. Itachi took his turn to analyse her.

"_She's an assassin,_" Itachi observed.

"_I know. _He's a friend visiting for a while." It was getting easier to switch between English and Japanese, Max noted.

"Same profession as you?"

"What gave it away?" Max chuckled.

"Gave what away?" DiNozzo and McGee picked that moment to turn up, only hearing Max. "It's that guy, who visited you," DiNozzo pointed out, narrowing his eyes at the shinobi, he still wasn't sure how it was 'complicated'.

"So? He's staying with me and Gaara for a while."

"Is that why he has his arm around your waist?" Max flushed slightly when she realised DiNozzo was telling the truth, she hadn't notice. Ziva picked that moment to slip away heading for the directors office.

"I think I should politely ask you to stay away from my personal life."

"I'm your brother, it's my job." DiNozzo grinned, knowing there was something there.

"Brother?" Max raised an eyebrow at Itachi who managed to look slightly embarrassed at being caught out.

"I did wonder if you'd bothered to learn English. I guess you did. _Haku did a DNA comparison to confirm it, we're related by one parent. Don't ask how that possible I have no clue_," Max explained, she was slightly amused more than anything. She could still tell him things without the team knowing.

"So what exactly is your relationship with my sister?" DiNozzo asked giving Itachi the evil eye. Max sighed, DiNozzo wouldn't be able to do shite to Itachi.

"Don't you have a report to finish?" Max growled. She did not want this conversation in front of everyone.

"He does, but that doesn't explain what you're doing here." Max almost fell of the desk she was sat on. How did Gibbs manage to sneak up on _her_?

"I felt like seeing you guys."

"You were bored," Itachi pointed out, Max shoved him off the desk. Unfortunately he didn't land in the crumpled heap she'd hoped for. More like gracefully landing on his feet.

"So, got a case yet?" Max asked with a blindingly cheesy grin.

"Not unless trying to get Abby into a suit counts as a case."

"Ouch. Why, she got court or something?" The looks from the team told her she got it right. "I repeat: ouch."

* * *

They did end up with a case. A place near Little Creek navy base, a navy lodging facility apparently had a blood bath in one of the rooms. Because she wasn't technically an employee anymore Max wasn't allowed to go with them so she took Itachi to meet Abby. She would have taken him to see Ducky but he was out with the team.

"Hey Abs, meet Itachi. Itachi meet the forensic technician Abby."

"Oh, is this your boyfriend? Good catch," Abby squealed hugging Max who faltered at the question. "Ooh, and does Tony know?"

"_Are we going out?_" Itachi asked Max who gave a minuscule shrug, not really wanting to discuss it there.

"You two aren't sure?" Abby asked, her grin never faltering.

"Gaara taught you Japanese, didn't he?" Max groaned.

"It was a fair trade, I taught him English."

"Oh great, now privacy is going to become an issue," Max muttered. "At least I still have German for private mutterings."

* * *

Max and Itachi were still in the lab talking to Abby when McGee brought in some cocaine to be tested.

It was Max who smelt something weird first but it was Abby who recognised it and dragged McGee down to the floor. Max and Itachi mimicked the action.

"Almonds… cyanide!" Abby said. McGee dragged Abby out forcefully, Max and Itachi fleeing as well. Abby then closed the door and hit a button next to the door securing it.

"What's cyanide?" Itachi whispered to Max. It was easy to forget some things may have different names between cultures, she wasn't even sure if cyanide existed in the hidden villages. It certainly wasn't one of the common poisons.

"Poison, it's supposed to have a distinct smell of bitter almonds, a food here, I can't remember if it's a nut, a seed or something completely different. Almonds themselves aren't actually dangerous, unless you choke on them. Only a small percentage of people have the genetics to be able to detect cyanide by smell," Max explained as they were ushered the showers. They were all given coveralls to get changed into after showering while their clothes were being thoroughly decontaminated.

At least the showers were separate, Max didn't need people asking about the amount of scars she had marring her skin. Itachi would probably find them at some point though. She thought about their relationship, did she want it to go back to before? Did before even exist properly or were her thoughts being mucked around with even then? Her question remained unanswered as she finished up her shower.

* * *

The four of them lounged in autopsy, allowing Ducky to check them over. Itachi had reasoned that Max wouldn't trust them if there were dangerous so allowed himself to be checked over after Max. They were sat on one of the tables at the far end, talking in rapid, hushed Japanese. McGee and Abby were sat much nearer the doors to autopsy, Abby was the last to be checked over.

All four of them were cleared as only briefly being exposed so they weren't going to have any long term problems. Gibbs entered the room followed by DiNozzo and Ziva, none looking particularly thrilled.

Max and Itachi moved closer, wanting to hear whet they had to say. At least they weren't mad at her. They seemed to have forgotten she'd been shot a few times recently.

"Me? Who would want to be after me? I mean Tony, I understand," Abby said nervously, none of them really believed her, poor Abby couldn't lie to her friends.

"Hey!" DiNozzo objected. He'd only been framed a few times by people who hated him, none of them had tried to out right kill him later though.

"_Seems to run in the family,_" Itachi muttered, earning a smack to the stomach from Max.

"The name Mikel Mawher ring a bell?" Gibbs asked. Max watched as Abby was grilled on her ex.

"_This is why my personal life stays away from people. I can beat people up perfectly well on my own_," Max whispered to Itachi who snorted. "_You're a special case and a bad example."_

"You two talking about anything case related?" Gibbs asked, looking mildly peeved at them.

"If it were then we'd talk in English," Max said sharply, she did not like being reprimanded like a child. Gibbs glared at her before leaving followed by DiNozzo and Ziva.

"So what did you mean by 'it runs in the family'?" Abby asked Itachi, swivelling on the table to face them. Max had temporarily forgotten that Abby understood Japanese.

"Absolutely nothing, right Itachi?" Max said, growling the last part as a warning. Itachi wisely stayed quiet, he had no doubt in his mind that Max was going to hospitalise him when they got back to Konoha, he didn't want to make it worse.

Anything Abby had been about to say was silenced by one of the cell phones on the metal table next to Max. Max groaned, now was not the best time for someone to need her help. She grabbed it and dashed out of autopsy flipping it open only when the door was shut.

"Rho is currently on vacation, please take your request and shove it."

"L told me to contact you," a voice synthesiser told her. Probably one of the Wammy kids.

"Oh that changes everything," Max said as if she had actually changed her mind.

"Really?" It was hard to tell when a voice synthesiser was being sarcastic.

"No dumbass." Max snapped her phone shut ending the conversation fully. She had plans to actually go home before Christmas. She didn't exactly want to return to autopsy, it was a bit cold and white, neither of which she liked much. She also didn't want to wander around in a coverall that could easily get caught on something and pop open.

"Who was that?" Itachi asked having gone to find her after she hadn't returned. Max had been sat down against the wall, throwing her phone in the air and catching herself to keep amused.

"Not a clue." Itachi caught the phone the next time she threw it up. He quickly flicked through the recent calls, noting that only one had been made in the last year, the last number was withheld. More mysteries surrounding Max.

* * *

This is actually the penultimate chapter of Part four.

Part five will be short, probably only ten chapters long then Part six will turn up but I have no idea what will happen in that yet.

Reviews are loved always.


	30. Everytime we touch

There is fluff. Lots of cute fluff.

Chapter 1 of part 5 will be out by the time you read this chapter because I'm that awesome.

* * *

Gaara had gone ahead of them, Suna needed his attention but he was hopeful that it remained in one piece.

Max and Itachi had stuck around D.C. for a while, reconnecting. They'd taken some joy in annoying DiNozzo with it, the special agent was trying to be the protective older brother but it just didn't work with the shinobi.

Then came the weird request. DiNozzo wanted her to meet his girlfriend. That wasn't the strange part. The fact a certain director of NCIS had suggested it first was the weird part. She probably wasn't supposed to have been listening in on that conversation.

She was briefed on part of it. To this woman Anthony DiNozzo was known as Tony DiNardo, a film studies lecturer. Max figured it would probably be better to start mentally calling her brother by his first name anyway.

Being able to change identity like changing shoes was a handy skill. Her purpose was to help cement Tony's cover, having a sibling wasn't something most undercover agents had. She had a new ID and slightly more normal appearance but most other details were the same, like only just being reunited.

Rho was a bit too well known so she was back with Anna but using a different last name of Savannah to give some realism to the story of them not knowing they were related.

Tony's girlfriend, Jeanne Benoit, was related to 'La Grenouille', an arms trader who Director Sheppard was obsessed with tracking down. Max had done her research, the woman was also a doctor at Monroe University hospital, her mother was also a doctor.

* * *

For the day before their meeting Max had a clone stalk Jeanne. Max did not like surprises so she wanted to know all she could in the short notice. Tony wasn't telling her where they would be meeting though claiming it was a surprise.

She found out why later. Indoor tennis. It was such a shame there were **only** three of them to Max's knowledge, you couldn't play tennis with three people. Max had a bad feeling in her gut.

"Some one else was supposed to be coming," Tony insisted to Max who looked clearly unimpressed. Jeanne picked that point to turn up at the reception.

"Hey Tony, who's this?" Jeanne asked quietly.

"My sister, Anna."

"You never told me you had a sister."

"I didn't know until a few weeks ago."

"Do you have any idea how much I feel like a third wheel right now?" Max said interrupting their hushed conversation to remind them she did indeed still exist.

"Sorry, I'm Jeanne Benoit." The woman held her hand out.

"Anna Savannah, mom hated me." Max shook the offered hand.

"Do you know anyone you could invite so we can play doubles?" Tony asked. Max twitched, Tony had figured that Itachi would follow her and was setting them up.

"I may have someone, but he doesn't know how to play." Max admitted reluctantly.

"He?" Tony asked with that lewd grin of his. "Ask him along, you can always teach him." Tony seemed to enjoy stressing the male pronoun. "Do you mind waiting a bit Jeanne?"

"Not at all." Jeanne seemed a bit put out but was willing to go along with it. Max grudgingly took out her cell and had a rapid conversation in Japanese before hanging up.

"Give him five minutes." That gave them some time to hire the equipment and everything.

* * *

When Itachi had turned up he had turned a few heads including Jeanne's before snapping out of it when Max had brought him over and introduced him. Eventually they were on the court, Itachi and Max versus Jeanne and Tony for the most part, sometimes they switched to make it interesting. They also played with the women piggy backed on the men.

There was half an hour of tennis and then they went ice skating, again with Max teaching Itachi. She was allowing him to cling onto her arm despite the fact Max knew he didn't need to. It was fun though, dragging him around the rink, weaving through the other skaters, sometimes stopping inches from the barrier letting Itachi crash next to her until he learned how to stop. That naturally led to a game of tag on ice.

At some point Max saw Jeanne get of the rink to sit down while Tony carried on, showing off a bit. Max allowed herself to be caught by Itachi then skated over to the edge, getting off the rink herself to join Jeanne.

"Are you ok?" Max asked sitting down to take the weight of her feet. Wearing skates for long periods of time did tend to make her feet ache a bit.

"Shins are just a bit sore." That was understandable with the stiff skates. They sat in silence for a bit, watching the skaters. "Is Itachi your boyfriend?" Max repressed a sigh, she knew how Tony and Jeanne's relationship would turn out. She didn't want that to happen, Tony was her brother and she looked out for family. If that meant telling her stuff then so be it.

"He was. Now… now I'm not sure."

"What happened?" Jeanne loved the gossip, Max's clone had told her that. Jeanne also liked the romantic novels and so Max was providing her with bits of both.

"I let something stupid drive us apart. Have you ever fallen out with someone, but still wanted to be their friend?"

"Once at school."

"That's how it was after we broke up, even separated I still loved him but I really wanted to hate him for what had happened. Eventually we talked things over but I'm no longer sure where our relationship stands." Jeanne was just drinking this all up. It had helped endear the woman to her, no more uncertainty over Max and Itachi's presence. Max gave a watery smile, happy that Jeanne was warming up to her.

"Shin's recovered yet? I'm sure we can evade the guys a bit more," Max asked, the smile turning to a cheeky grin which was soon mirrored.

* * *

It was late when they were done skating. Tony took Jeanne to a restaurant but Max declined for both herself and Itachi feeling they'd intruded enough. Instead they went to one of the parks and gazed at the stars. It was one of those rare clear nights in December. Cold but clear.

It didn't stay that way, clouds gathered in the sky blocking the stars. Then the first few flakes floated down. The snow melted on Max's tee-shirt, her body heating the frozen flakes back to water. She smiled despite herself. Snow… Snow country, the room on fire, being trapped. It was in the past, nothing she could do, just like everything else that had happened.

Only one thing to do really, take another step forward.

The flakes increased in size and density, the wind made them dance around before they settled. The chill went straight through Max's wet t-shirt, causing a slight shiver. Caught up in the sight of the snow meant Max didn't really notice.

Itachi had noticed though, he stood up from the bench and held out a hand for her to take.

"Want to dance?" he asked with a warm smile.

"Huh?"

"Dance. You know, moving to music, only there isn't any music. It'll keep you warm." He explained, a smirk on his face as Max realised she was shivering. Max took his hand and allowed him to lead as they danced through the swirling snow.

Itachi was right, she did warm up, both from the dancing and the proximity to him. She was content. Itachi tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes.

"Do you want to give 'us' a go again?" he asked, holding her closely. He could feel her try to pull away as he'd predicted but she quickly stopped. He loosened his grip, she was taking a while to say anything and he wasn't so sure of it anymore. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ask-" He was silenced by Max closing the gap between them and kissing him.

"I wanted to make sure my feeling were real and not the product of the block," she mumbled after breaking the kiss, her cheeks heating up a bit at the confession.

"I was scared I'd killed the only person I fell in love with, then terrified that she would hate me," Itachi admitted making Max's cheek even more red. They shared another more passionate kiss in the falling snow. The flurry got heavier until they gave in and started to trudge over to Max's car.

Max was glad Gaara had left, the flat was empty, it was also a bit cold though.

"Bed or sofa?" she asked Itachi, striping of her wet tee-shirt, not caring Itachi was still in the room and no doubt watching.

"You can take the bed, I'll take the sofa."

"I think you misunderstood me. I'm taking the bed regardless, I just want to know if you'll be joining me," Max said with a mischievous glint in her eyes as her jeans also dropped to the floor quickly followed by Itachi's shirt.

* * *

A phone vibrating on the bed side table woke up one of the occupants of the bed. The phone vibrated over the edge but was caught before it hit the floor.

The girl flipped open the phone. "What?" she hissed quietly, trying not to disturb the other occupant of the bed.

"Are you still on vacation?" a now familiar voice scrambler asked. Max didn't bother with a response and just shut her phone, tossing it across the room. It began to vibrate again but Max ignored it, instead choosing to roll over and snuggle back into Itachi.

Sleep was difficult, every time she almost drifted off her phone would vibrate.

"_Why don't you just talk to them_?" Itachi asked sleepily after what seemed like hours. He'd slipped back into Japanese he wasn't awake enough to speak some other language. His hand started rubbing her back, subtly pulling her just that tiny bit closer.

"_Didn't want to wake you_," she mumbled. "_Would turn it off but I threw it before I thought of that, now it's too far and too cold_." Itachi smiled, clearly amused by her antics. He reached behind him for something and then pointed it at her phone.

"Accio phone." The phone landed neatly in his hand next to his wand. "_You went to _Hogwarts _for longer than me_."

"_Using magic seemed a bit lazy_," Max mumbled embarrassedly, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"_You forgot about magic_."

"_Haven't used my magic since I left _Hogwarts," Max admitted, once again trying to bury her face in his bare chest. She heard Itachi flip open the phone, nothing confidential was on it so she was fine with it.

"_Oh crap_." Itachi bolted upright followed by a bleary eyed Max who looked at him questioningly. Before she could ask there was a knock at the door.

"Rho?" a voice called out, Max recognised it as her brother. Both of them scrabbled to untangle themselves from the blanket.

"_Oh crap,_" Max muttered, repeating Itachi's words. This was a situation she'd never thought she'd be in. "Yes?" she called back. If she didn't answer then he'd probably jump to a conclusion and barge in. Neither Max or Itachi were in any state of dress to answer the door so they hunted for stuff to wear.

"Can you let me in?" The hunt became more furious until they both were reasonable dressed. Max dashed to the door and opened it a bit with an innocent smile. Tony instinctively looked into the flat though the slight crack. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Sure, do you want a cup of coffee of something?" she offered, the innocent smile never leaving her face as she opened the door wider. Tony declined the coffee but entered the apartment slightly wearily. Itachi was lounging on the sofa with a glass of orange juice, a blanket was messily strewn over the side and another glass of juice was on the table for Max.

"Did girly-boy stay here last night?"

"On the sofa, yes," Max lied, not quite hiding her amused smile at the name. She'd taken the hint from the blanket that it would be their story. Tony raised an eyebrow, slightly sceptical of the story but he hadn't seen any evidence contrary to it. "Is there a reason you decided to drop by?"

"I just wanted to make sure you had got home fine. I did try calling, and texting first." Max winced sheepishly.

"My phone was on silent, I must have slept though it. I'm fine, now you can leave so I can sleep." Tony ignored the suggestion and made himself comfortable on the sofa, leaving a gap between himself and Itachi.

"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"If I say yes you're still not going to leave."

"_I never believed personality traits were genetic till I saw you two,_" Itachi smirked looking between the siblings. He could see the roles being reversed and playing out the exact same way.

"Hey, none of that, I know you speak English," Tony reprimanded. "So do I get a tour of the place?" He asked with his boyish grin, knowing he would still be irritating Max.

* * *

It was a week later Max and Itachi were beck at the SGC. They hadn't meant to stay in DC for so long but it had been fun. Now they were going home, finally in Max's case, she hadn't been home in over three months.

Unfortunately there were delays, the Stargate was malfunctioning due to the worm hole connecting to a black hole. This was one of those things that couldn't be solved by a shinobi so they took to exploring the complex.

It was sitting innocently in a room. It made Max reconsider her plans, she still wanted adventure. It gave her that opportunity.

The quantum mirror, dimension travelling device. Max did wonder if her universe was there somewhere but she didn't dwell on it too much.

She left a unique symbol on the wall facing the mirror so she would know home, a notice-me-not charm on the door so no one would move it and a note that would appear on General Landry's desk when the gate deactivated from the black hole world. She picked up the control device for the mirror, turning it on, the image changed from the drab grey walls to a sunny green park.

With all these preparations done, much to Itachi's great confusion, she dragged him through the looking glass.

* * *

Part five will be called 'Through the looking glass'

Reviews are always welcome. Feel free to recomend a crossover.


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